Why I love Christmas....

I had an awesome Christmas and I hope everyone else did as well. I have really enjoyed having some time off school and getting to spend time with family and friends. My sister and I have really enjoyed being home together as we go to different colleges and don't see each as often when school is in session.

I loved making Christmas candy, watching Christmas movies, and exchanging gifts- all the things that we do to celebrate Christmas but most importantly knowing that I have a relationship with the Savior of the world. Christ came so that we could have life. He came knowing He would die on a cross and give His life for us. THAT is the reason we can enjoy life and celebrate Christmas. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and may God abundantly bless you in 2011.

Ta Ta For Now

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

Thankfulness

God has blessed me beyond measure!! He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us!! He woke me up from my dead and sinful nature, and saved me-making me alive in Him!!! I fall short everyday, but God's grace overwhelms me. His love encompasses me and has blessed me with an abundant life!!! Without Him, I would be nothing.
I'm also very thankful for my awesome family. For friends, for food, for our house, and the list goes on. I could never stop listing all the things God has blessed me with. It is to Him, I owe my thanks. This Thanksgiving was enjoyed with family, good food, and laughter. Everyday from now on, I want to live my life in thankfulness rather than taking things for granted. Thankfulness is not just thinking about things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Instead it is a lifestyle of knowing you have been amazingly blessed by a loving God. So often, I almost act as if I deserve these blessings. Rather, I am just a victim of grace.

What is Happiness?

Happiness is defined as: The state or quality of being happy. The definition of happy is having, showing, or marked by a feeling of joy or pleasure.

There are many unhappy people, yet fortunately, there is also a great percentage of happy people in the world. Happy people are marked by a smile. Often times when we see someone smile, there are genuinely happy. However, there can be someone living as an imposter that’s not truly happy trying to pretend they are a happy person. If we are around an individual long enough though, we will most likely be able to determine if they are happy or unhappy.

Happy people look at life positively and see the glass half full instead of half empty. They enjoy life and are happy with their circumstances. However, that’s where I tend to disagree with the definition of happy. Happiness is based on circumstances around you, whereas, joy is the overflowing peace inside your heart that causes you to be happy regardless of your circumstances. Happiness is
limited by effects of life. Rather joy is a gift of God that causes you to look on life with a peace in your heart although your world may be crashing around you.

Sadly, we live in a world where there are many unhappy people. The causes are greatly varied. Some people are unhappy because of the circumstances that they were brought up in. Maybe their dad was an alcoholic and never showed them the fatherly love that they needed. They go around with a wound in their heart that their father left them and never heal from the wound. The cause of others’unhappiness may be because they don’t like their job or can’t stand their boss. So, in turn they take it out on everyone else and determine to not be happy. Many are unhappy because they have lost someone dear to them through death, divorce, or a broken relationship.
Still others are unhappy because they have never learned to be happy with themselves. According to an online article, unhappy people are usually unhappy because they have not mastered the ability to be happy within themselves.

I am not implying that unhappy people can never become happy. Rather, an unhappy person can change the way he or she thinks and become a happy, positive person. They can also receive counseling to overcome their hurt. It may take a while to be move on from whatever has caused them to unhappy, but no one is unreachable.

Unhappy people can become joyous as well if they turn to the One who gave freedom to the oppressed. The world would be a different place if people were filled with a residing joy regardless of their circumstances. Yet sadly, the world is filled with many people seeking happiness and joy, yet many never find it. Instead they are distinguished by a miserable unhappy appearance or wear a mask and pretend that they are as happy as everyone else.

Being content with life is a way to gain happiness. David Steindl-Rast said, “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy because we will always want to have something else or something more.”

Happy people have a smile. Happiness drives people to focus on others rather than themselves. Happiness is a beautiful sunny day and running through the meadow. It is laughing with a friend. It is expectant of tomorrow. Happiness is a beautiful thing, and joy is even sweeter. I’m very grateful for the gift of both.

Joke for the day

Two guys were driving down the road. They accidentally hit a rabbit. So, the guys get out of the truck to see if they had killed the rabbit. The rabbit was dead, and they thought "Oh no. I hate I killed this rabbit-one of God's creatures." One guy pulls a can out of his pocket and sprays the rabbit. Strangely, the rabbit comes to life and starts hopping. It hops down the road and waves. It hops over a fence and waves. It keeps hopping and waving until it is out of sight. One guy says to the other,"I've got to know what you sprayed on that rabbit!" "Oh, just hair restorer with a permanent wave." ;)

Check this video out! This rebelutionary is competing in the 104.7 The Fish Opening Act contest on YouTube.

If he gets in the Top Five (in total views), $10,000 will go towards a student led mission organization!!!

The Widow's Might - Trailer

I just watched "The Widow's Might" tonight!! I definitely recommend this movie...it is an excellent family film that teaches the importance of doing what is right.

Thank you, Jesus for Your love

That is bigger than the ocean

I will praise You all my days

The ocean tide rolls in and out again

You forgive me of my sins and wash them away

I was dead in my sin

Yet, You saved me from my wretched state

And gave me a new life

How could I ever thank you enough

For all You've done for me

You died for me on a cross

You gave your life so I could have life

You saved me and made me a new creature

You are my Savior and Lord

Use my life as You will

I'll abandon all these earthly pleasures

To follow hard after You

The Ultimate Director

We have a clipboard in our hands
We are now the official director of the play
Yet, God was supposed to be the director
We shove Him off the stage
We grab the clipboard and pen out of His hand
We start scrawling furiously, marking out His plans
We take our place on the stage and start casting roles
We say, "You need to go there
And you need to go here
I’d like you to play the part of Juliet
I’d like you to play the part of Romeo
You need to play this character or that"
We cast the whole play
The time for the performance of the play comes
It is disastrous
No one knows where they are supposed to go
Everyone forgets their lines
We get mad and ask God, "Why didn’t you bless us?"
Why didn’t you let us have a good play performance?"
His answer, “Because you took me out of the show.”
Suddenly we realize how foolish it was for us to take the role of the director in our lives
We had selfishly cast the characters on our own
Sometimes God switches the roles of characters
Yet, it is all planned perfectly and in His will when He directs it
Sometimes God moves characters to a different scene because He knows it will make the play better
Yet, His casting is perfect
Why don’t we step aside and let Him direct?

-Written by Stacie (2010)

God's beautiful creation

The beauty of God's creation

should be a reminder of how loving God is.

He could have made everything black and white.......

Yet, he chose to use beautiful, vibrant colors

Because He loves us

He loves us SO much that

He gave His only Son.....

So that we could be forgiven of our sins.....

And have fellowship with God.......

And have everlasting life.

May God bless you today and always,

Stacie

My Testimony

I have been very fortunate to have been raised by godly parents. They taught me about Jesus ever since I was very young and I have been in church all my life. When, I was six years old I made a decision. However, later I realized I hadn’t truly understood the plan of salvation. I knew I wanted to go to heaven, but I really didn’t understand what it meant to follow Jesus and to become a Christian.
At the age of eleven, I had been feeling convicted for quite a while. However, I wasn’t sure why, because I thought I was already a Christian. It was on August 13, 2003 that I realized that I was lost and was a sinner. On that Tuesday morning, I knelt down in my living room and cried out to God and asked Him to save me. Tears were trickling down my face as I experienced salvation. The curtains were open in our living room, and the sun was pouring in. Just as the sun was pouring into the windows, Jesus was pouring His light into my soul. As I was praying, I experienced a peace that I had never felt before.
After becoming a Christian, it doesn’t stop there. Jesus wants us to grow closer to Him. Recently, I realized how my life needs to be totally and completely surrendered to God. I want only what is in His will for my life. With many important decisions coming up, I want to make sure that I am right where God wants me to be. I desire to have more of a thirst for God’s Word. We can never be too passionate about Him. I pray that I will fall more and more in love with Jesus every day of my life. It amazes me and leaves me speechless that the omnipotent God indwells me. Christ gave His all for us, so we must give our all to Jesus. I praise Jesus Christ for the gift of salvation that He has freely given for all mankind. My life has never been the same since I got saved!!