Christmas is so much more then a holiday now, Christmas has become a season, summer fall winter, CHRISTMAS, and spring… and I LOVE it!
We all have our Christmas list…..
- guitar hero, video games
- digital camera
We have Christmas music on the radio beginning November 1st.
Christmas is also a time for family and friends to gather where traditions are repeated, year after year and we look forward to them every year. For my family, it’s making chocolate chip cookies for the grandpas as they jet off to the south for the winter like migrating birds. My family also has a tradition of Chinese food for dinner on Christmas Eve before the candle light service at church. What are some traditions you do with your family or friends?
With all the food and shopping for everyone on your list, wrapping gifts and listening to Christmas music and enjoying the Christmas cards which come in the mail, have you ever just stopped for a minute to really take everything in?
When we start to see the red kettles outside and a bell ringer at the retail stores we know that Christmas is truly around the corner. The Toys-4-Tots drive and Adopt-a-Family are just a few organizations that are in full gear right now looking to put a smile on every child’s face and lift a weight off parent’s shoulders. Food shelves are trying to meet the demands of families wanting to put a meal on the table for Christmas Day. I had the opportunity this year to help with Adopt-a-family, for those of you who may not know, it is a nation wide program run through interfaith outreach. Families are able to apply for a wish listed and then the community adopts them and shops for their needs and wishes. These families have diapers, snow pants, socks and cub gift cards on their wish lists.
Being a teenager myself, I know volunteering at the soup kitchen on Christmas may be out of our hands but I challenge myself as well as you to step back from all the “glam” of the Christmas season and reach out to others. To donate your change in the red kettle, or donate some toys were needed is very important. If anything, donate your time somewhere, or wish someone a happy holiday that you may not know. This is all part of what Christmas is about I also challenge you to post on the site your traditions, or something you’ve done that touched others as well as yourself this holiday season!
~I’ve received facebook messages from a few of you commenting on the new site, but don’t be shy post them in the actual site. If you wish need not share your name or any personal information~
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Candace's thoughts
What does it mean to believe in God, knowing you can't see him? 2Corinthians 5:7 -We live by faith, not by sight.
This Bible verse made me think... My faith in god really does reassure me that I don’t need to see a man with a beard, in sandals, holding a Bible to know that he is real, and that Christianity is real. I believe in many things about God without seeing them. I love my parents but I can't see love, but I can feel love.
Faith in the Bible is: belief and trust in God; knowing that God is real, even though one can't see him.
To be able to write on paper, or internet what it means to believe and have faith in God to me is nearly impossible. I sit here...probably for the last half hour trying to wrap my mind around, or at least narrow down to what does believing in God really mean to me. Faith and having faith in God is something that’s written on your heart and not on paper. But how can I ask you to tell me what it means to believe if I can’t tell myself or you?
So here’s what I do know... for now… Let’s be honest being a teenager, growing up and believing in God isn’t always the easiest. I always remind myself God is greater then getting into college, or greater then the newest pair of jeans. He has amazing things in store for everyone.
Believing in God for me is always having someone that loves me, cares for me, and is there for me. Someone that I can talk to and get the greatest advice one can give. Knowing that there’s always more to learn and God always has a trick or two up His sleeve. It’s that deep connection with Him that you can’t get from anyone, no matter how hard you search. Believing in God to me is that feeling and sense of security that He will always love you, even when you feel like the world has turned its back and is against you. That your way compared to God’s way is never right. Believing in God for me is a way of life. Not necessarily always the life I've lived, but I have come to discover that life with Jesus Christ is the best life and the life I want to continue to live.
For those who know me, I will be the first to admit I struggle wrapping my mind around all of Christianity and have a lot of learning to do. Sitting in Jeremy’s office today, we were watching one of Rob Bell's videos on Rhythm. In the movie Rob quotes, “The song is playing all around us all the time, the song is playing everywhere, it is written in our hearts, and everyone is playing the song. See the question isn’t whether or not you’re playing a song, the question is, ‘Are you in tune?” The video made an awesome point that got us thinking. If God and faith is a song, its not discovering the song for the first time because the song has been around forever and is heard around the world but its finding that you are in tune within the song....
Let me know what you think... this is the first time I've done anything like this before, and probably deleted 5 paragraphs because I wasn't sure what to write... so drop me a comment and let me know what does believing in God mean to you?
This Bible verse made me think... My faith in god really does reassure me that I don’t need to see a man with a beard, in sandals, holding a Bible to know that he is real, and that Christianity is real. I believe in many things about God without seeing them. I love my parents but I can't see love, but I can feel love.
Faith in the Bible is: belief and trust in God; knowing that God is real, even though one can't see him.
To be able to write on paper, or internet what it means to believe and have faith in God to me is nearly impossible. I sit here...probably for the last half hour trying to wrap my mind around, or at least narrow down to what does believing in God really mean to me. Faith and having faith in God is something that’s written on your heart and not on paper. But how can I ask you to tell me what it means to believe if I can’t tell myself or you?
So here’s what I do know... for now… Let’s be honest being a teenager, growing up and believing in God isn’t always the easiest. I always remind myself God is greater then getting into college, or greater then the newest pair of jeans. He has amazing things in store for everyone.
Believing in God for me is always having someone that loves me, cares for me, and is there for me. Someone that I can talk to and get the greatest advice one can give. Knowing that there’s always more to learn and God always has a trick or two up His sleeve. It’s that deep connection with Him that you can’t get from anyone, no matter how hard you search. Believing in God to me is that feeling and sense of security that He will always love you, even when you feel like the world has turned its back and is against you. That your way compared to God’s way is never right. Believing in God for me is a way of life. Not necessarily always the life I've lived, but I have come to discover that life with Jesus Christ is the best life and the life I want to continue to live.
For those who know me, I will be the first to admit I struggle wrapping my mind around all of Christianity and have a lot of learning to do. Sitting in Jeremy’s office today, we were watching one of Rob Bell's videos on Rhythm. In the movie Rob quotes, “The song is playing all around us all the time, the song is playing everywhere, it is written in our hearts, and everyone is playing the song. See the question isn’t whether or not you’re playing a song, the question is, ‘Are you in tune?” The video made an awesome point that got us thinking. If God and faith is a song, its not discovering the song for the first time because the song has been around forever and is heard around the world but its finding that you are in tune within the song....
Let me know what you think... this is the first time I've done anything like this before, and probably deleted 5 paragraphs because I wasn't sure what to write... so drop me a comment and let me know what does believing in God mean to you?
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