Happy Thanksgiving

  Today I joined hundreds of other Americans in waking up at the crack of dawn to put a turkey in the oven. Now my family will participate in the annual American gluttony festival. We will be sufficiently fueled to wake up in the wee hours of the morrow so we can rush out and pay homage to the gods of crass commercialism.
  I am kidding.
  Thanksgiving, despite all appearances, is not a gluttony festival. And I will not go black Friday shopping tomorrow. I will, however, list the things I am thankful for this year.

My little sister. I waited eighteen years for her and she was worth the wait.

My brothers. Sure they drive me up the wall half the time but my life would be miserable without them.

My parent who love me unconditionally and encourage me to follow the Lord everyday.

That I got my driver's license with no drama.

For brownies.

For Nutella.

My cousins with whom I share a bond in the Lord.

That the Allen's visited us this summer.

My crazy awesome friends who put up with me.

For the turkey that laid its life down for my lunch.

For the marriage of two of my friends that took place this summer.

My converse.

The chance to volunteer at ALERT, and for the friends I made there.

That The Desolation Of Smaug is coming out in less then a month.

Coffee.

Stars.

The color blue.

I am most thankful for the saving grace of Christ. I am thankful that despite my past and my sin He still loved me enough to die for me and a save me from the punishment I deserve. I am thankful for the love He shows me everyday and that because of Him I can celebrate Thanksgiving.
 

Careful What You Pray For

  Sometimes, I ask God for things I do not really want. Things like contentment. During my second week at ALERT, I was asked to stay two weeks longer then I had planned to. Though I was looking forward to seeing my family again, I was also enjoying my time a ALERT and wanted to stay longer. I left the decision of whether or not I would stay up to my parents. After asking my parents if I could stay, I prayed for contentment. And I am sure I prayed an honest prayer, but I really wanted to stay at ALERT.

  When my parents called a couple days later and told me that they were going to pick me up when they had originally planned to, I was disappointed. I was not content. I did not want to be content. I sulked a little bit that day, I will admit. Then in the evening I went running with a friend. When we were done we walked out to the runway and laid down on it to look at the stars. As I watched the sparkle of a billion suns shining light-years away, I realized I was tired of being discontent. So I prayed for the same contentment I had asked the Lord for earlier, and He gave it to me.

  It really is almost funny, the way I do not want the things that are best for me. And I am not talking about whether or not I stayed up at ALERT, I'm talking about being content no matter where I am. At some point I have to let go of my selfish desires. The longer I hold onto them the longer they will hold me down. But when I let them go and give them to God, then I am free, and then I am content. 

Where the leaves change

  Maybe its a little obvious that I'm from south-east Texas. As far as I know I'm the only person up here at ALERT right now who has laid down on the road and pushed the screen out of her window to get the perfect angle for pictures of the leaves. I'm happy with the results though, and so glad to experience God's great, big, beautiful world.

Unnessarily Beautiful

  This morning, a friend and I walked to the runway here at ALERT to watch the sunrise. It amazes me that everyday God makes the world beautiful. You see it more on a campus like the ALERT campus just because nature is everywhere.
  I was thinking, God did not have to make the sunrise breath-taking, but He did. He did not have to take pastel shades of blue and molten gold and swirl them in the sky, but He did. God did not even have to give human beings the senses to see and process the beauty in the world around us, but He did.
  God did, however, give us the choice to acknowledge Him as the author of the beauty in the world around us or to reject Him. Whether we do or not is up to us. Do not reject God, do not turn your eyes away from Him and His beauty. Praise and acknowledge His goodness. Thank Him for being all He is to us everyday. Appreciate the unnecessary beauty of the sunrise.

 

 

Cutting Chives

 There are just those days. You know, those days when you get a lack-luster job like mincing chives. Chives are necessary for baked potatoes, of course, but there are so many things that at least seem like they would be more fun to do. I'm not the first person to have a ho-hum mundane job though. My Savior was washing people's feet. Chives smell, but they can't compare with the smell of feet.
  So for those days when work is boring and I'd like another job, there is always this verse:
Ephesians 6:7
  "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,"