RSS Problem
Kaysie let me know that she’s been having problems viewing my RSS feed, so I checked at FeedBurner and it says I lost all of my subscribers yesterday. I doubt that all of you cancelled on me in one day, so it must be another problem I couldn’t figure out. I’ll let you know when the other feed is up and running again, which hopefully will be soon – 89 subscribers to 0 in one day is sad! If you want to catch posts in the meantime, you could subscribe by e-mail.
Apparently this is a known issue that FeedBurner is working on, so again, I hope it will be fixed soon.
The Good Portion
I noticed a little technical error on my blog before I went to sleep. While trying to fix it, I got distracted and changed my theme, because the pink flowers were starting to drive me crazy. (They were growing off my computer screen! Really!) So there you have it, folks – another facelift for my little blog.
I miss writing. It’s weird, but I also miss the days when I had a Xanga that only a few people knew about. I could write more about my daily life then, whatever and whenever I felt like it. I’ll still do that sometimes, but it’s different when there are hundreds of strangers reading every day. Not that I don’t appreciate my friendly lurkers – I do enjoy writing for a larger “audience” most of the time.
I have so much to do and so little time to do it in right now. The story of Mary and Martha has been on my heart a lot lately. I’ve been remembering how Mary “chose the good portion” and how Martha was “worried and anxious about many things.” Sitting at the Savior’s feet is so much better than rushing around with a fretful heart. Serving Him is what matters.
Christmas is over, but hope is lingering. Christ’s wondrous love is the same today as yesterday, and it will be tomorrow. I see more my need to cling to Him, my complete helplessness on my own. May He become greater as we become less. I hope your Christmas times were blessed with the favor of our Lord.
Hope in Christ
Christmas is about Christ. And because of Christ, Christmas is about hope. On the night He was born, Christ’s life had not yet come to fulfillment in His death. But our Savior’s life had begun…
“to give knowledge of salvation to His people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
(Luke 1:77-79)
The hope is salvation, from our sin-ravaged souls to the glorious freedom of the children of God, the joy and privilege of knowing Him. As the Christmas song I am listening to says, “I found my life, I found my life in Him.” In Him and Him alone we are found in the only true life. Words fail me when I think about the incarnation. This is part of a prayer from The Valley of Vision.
“Herein is wonder of wonders:
He came below to raise me above,
was born like me that I might become like Him.
Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to Him He draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to Himself.
Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
He united them in indissoluble unity,
the uncreated and the created.
Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to Him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
He came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me…
In Him Thou hast given me so much
that heaven can give no more.”
The engagement story (finally)
I did say that I would share a little more of the story of how A.J. and I got engaged, as well as a picture, so I am writing to fulfill that promise. 
A.J. “knew” me quite awhile before I knew him. He actually found my blog because of a comment I left on the Boundless blog. He never commented or anything, so I didn’t know he existed! After reading for several months, he sent me an e-mail this past January (2008) just to tell me that what I wrote was an encouragement to him. We e-mailed back and forth for a few weeks, and we found out that we both planned on attending New Attitude, but then we didn’t talk anymore until May.
Fast forward to May, right around the time I was graduating from college, I hear from this “random” blog reader again, asking if I would like to “shake hands” at New Attitude. We met before the first service of the conference and just chatted for a couple of minutes, but later we ended up having lunch with our friends and sitting together during John Piper’s message.
After New Attitude was over, he returned to Florida and I to Ohio, and we started to “get to know” each other over the phone (after he had a conversation with my dad ) and continued to trade visits back and forth and met each other’s families, churches, and friends. God clearly worked in both of our hearts as we grew to know and love one another, and it is so amazing to look back and see His sovereign hand over our relationship.
I went down to visit again a couple of weeks ago, and A.J. proposed almost as soon as I walked off the plane. I was very shocked and very happy, and am looking forward with joy to being the wife of this wonderful, godly man. I am so thankful to God for His goodness and undeserved grace to us, and look forward to see how His glory will be displayed in our lives.
So that’s the story of how God used some seemingly random blog posts and e-mails to lead to a meeting that is resulting in our marriage. I definitely never thought I would be writing a story like this on my blog! (Here is a promised picture; this was when A.J. was at my house in November.)
The Joy of Christmas
This is a guest post by my fiance A.J.
I grew up in a non-Christian home. But, I remember the emphatic excitement produced by my imagination around Christmas time. Being the imaginative five year old I was, of course I believed in Santa Claus [because I was told he was real]. I remembered trying to imagine what he looked like and if he was really an old, fat and jolly man with rosy cheeks and a long gray beard. Once, I was in bed one Christmas Eve [probably 1986 or so] and I did not want to sleep. I remember pulling back the curtain to look into the sky just in case I saw something. Low and behold, there was something in the sky that was moving and sparkling that I thought for sure was Santa Claus. That night, I had my entire immediate family in my bedroom on Christmas Eve because I said something to the effect of, “Everyone come here, I see Santa in the sky on his sleigh!” When I think about that today, it is incredibly humorous to know that I have gone to such lengths with my imagination.
Even today, something happens to me around Christmas time. As a Marketing major in college, I pay particular attention to advertisements and items in retail stores. Even though singing and dancing snowmen aren’t real, they are certainly depicted as being tangible. Although reindeer can’t fly and talk, they are seen in the month of December as doing so. It is the same with Santa Claus. Although he is not real, he is used to bring about the “mood of Christmas” to the world. I don’t know many people who are offended by the thought of him. I am sure that most cultures and religions could agree on his purpose. It is ok to fly across the sky with a team of reindeer to eventually shimmy down a chimney and deliver presents to those who have been “good.” We apparently do not even have a problem with him eating the few cookies and drinking milk that we leave out for him before he leaves for the next house on late Christmas Eve. Santa provides an extreme feeling of comfort and joy around Christmas time because nothing bad can possibly happen when he is involved. I am sure children all across the world who have heard of him contemplate his being and character because of how great he sounds. Santa is famous.
There is no greater joy than seeing snow falling from the winter sky, blanketing the ground along with Christmas lights as far as the eye can see. Christmas music listening while sipping hot cocoa next to a kindling fire provokes a joy that is seemingly unsurpassable. When one is decorating a Christmas tree, the invigorating experience of happiness does not allow room to see that it will come down very soon. The fellowship of loved ones during this season seems to be extra special because of the joy of Christmas.
As Christians, our whole worldview of the meaning of Christmas should be staunchly different than what the world accepts and respects. Although it is fun to build a snowman, it is nothing other than solid water among the elements that God spoke into existence. Most people enjoy the thought of Santa Claus. But, he is a fable that doesn’t say much and certainly nothing about sin. Christmas trees grow and are chopped down to simply die for our decorating pleasure. It is part of our culture, society in the suburbs and the world at large.
May we learn, by Grace, to treasure a biblical worldview. Although I am not saying that Christians should not buy Christmas trees and say the name “Santa,” we should most definitely acknowledge the reality and truth of what Christmas means; what the bible says about the human condition of sin, death and the fact that God sent a Savior to die for the sins of the ungodly.
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace, There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7
If we are Christians, Christmas does not mean that we get presents and watch Christmas movies. Nor does it mean that it is time to buy a Christmas tree to be just like our neighbor. Santa is a cute thought derived from one who was a saint, but he is gone just as fast as he comes. The season of Christmas is merely a reminder of where true joy comes from, to those who are being saved. It is a reminder that, by God’s Great Mercy, He provided a way. This season should provoke a Spirit of gratefulness because a baby was born. May we meditate on the reality of this baby that was and is God incarnate. The very reason He was born is so that He could die for the sins of the world. He was not quiet, but offended most people with the message of the Truth [The Gospel]. When we think about Christmas, may we think about the precious blood that brings a sinner to life so that we may participate in the beholding of the eternal Glorious Christ that forever surpasses seasonal joy.
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
I’m Engaged!
There is a good reason I haven’t posted for almost a week! Thanks for your patience since you’re still reading for some reason. If you’re real-life and/or Facebook friends with me you will know that A.J. and I just got engaged on Thursday! I’m so excited and blessed by God to be getting married to this amazing man whom I love so much. It is His abundant grace and goodness in my life for sure! (Can’t you tell my excitement by all the exclamation points?) And there’s a very interesting story behind it that I think my blog readers will especially appreciate. 
I will try to post it along with a picture within the next few days so be sure to check back!
