Feliz Navidad!

Today has been a lovely day celebrating Christmas with my family! I've spent a lot of it packing because I'm leaving tomorrow to go on a ski trip in Virginia with some friends from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, and North Carolina. Please pray for safety as we will be traveling all day tomorrow! Thanks!

“Let us be glad and rejoice today, because ‘He has come.’ And let us remember the annunciation of the angel, ‘Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10, 11) -Streams In The Desert

I pray your day (so far and the rest of the day :) ) has been filled with much joy and peace as we celebrate the birth of Christ and the wonderful hope we have in the gospel! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I’ve been so busy over the last week I haven’t had time to post anything but pictures so here is a quick re-cap:

Disney World: We had a blast! It is always a blessing to get away with my family for a few days! This was the first time we’ve ever been able to go to theme parks with our whole family being able to get on all the rides together. In the past Victoria and Karah were too young and scared. :/ (Well, there were a few rides they didn’t want to get on, but we’ve made much progress!) Dad is always very specific when planning out our days! He’s not one that enjoys crowds and waiting in line (not that many people do). In order to avoid waiting in many lines he was very strategic in deciding which rides/shows we were going to go to, when to get fast passes, etc. Though there were many times we were running around the parks like chickens with our head’s cut of, it was worth it because we got to do everything worth doing while there and didn’t have to stand in many lines.

Singles Christmas party: That was a blast as well! (For those of you who’ve asked) we played a gift wrapping game. To play this game two people partner up and put one hand behind their back and work as a team to wrap a gift in a certain amount of time against another team. You win by having the prettiest and neatest gift wrapping job. After that we did a white elephant gift exchange with a twist. A new way of playing was started in my home group. If you want to steal a gift from someone else you have to either dance or sing in order to get the gift. The person you’re stealing the gift from decides whether you will dance/sing, what you will sing or how you will dance (salsa, hip hop, ballet etc.) It is hilarious! THEN, I’m not sure how it started but we ended up dancing the rest of the night! =)

Today I thought it’d be fun to post some pictures of last year’s Christmas. I was just glancing through them and it’s really cool to see how much Josh, Victoria, and Karah have grown since then. (I sound like such a mom, I know! =) ) Josh is now taller than me and Amber! Victoria is as tall as my mom! My goodness they are growing up so fast! *sniff* *sniff*.

So here are some pictures of last years Christmas and hopefully I’ll have some to share of this years Christmas tomorrow! Merry Christmas Eve!

Singles Christmas Party

Disney Pictures

The Magic Kingdom

Stylin!

Splash Mountain!

Graduation Partay!

Here are a few pictures from a graduation party we threw for Kyle Glick and Nick Grande this past weekend. It’s hard to believe so many of the singles have graduated college this year and many more will be next year. It seems like just yesterday we were sitting in youth group meetings going through “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” (I think we went through that book about three times :) ) and after the meetings hearing dad say “guys you go do this and girls you go to that and in 15 minutes you'll switch” ha-ha those were the good ol’ days! Time flies by when you’re having fun! Congratulations guys!

Today Amber and I (and maybe Jonathan) are heading down to Orlando to join the rest of our family at Disney (They’ve been there since Sunday). If there's time I might post a few pictures while I’m down there! So check back! =)

Through Fiery Trials

Normally when we’re struggling with trusting God, anxiety, joy, or even waiting, it’s usually because we’re suffering through different situations that God has placed in our lives. I know this has been the case for me many times! This past year I’ve had to rely wholly on God for strength and rest in His sovereignty numerous times to get me through different trials. Finding that strength didn’t always come easy! It took a lot of work! There were many hours of crying out to God and reading scripture. There were many days of doubting that God was at hand and days when He brought much joy. All in all, by His grace He was faithful to help me grow in my weaknesses and draw me closer to Him.

Maybe today you are walking through a fiery trial and feeling like God isn’t at hand. It could be finances, a work or family problem, pain or sickness in your life or someone else’s life, or maybe even bearing the weight of someone else’s burdens. Whatever it may be, I pray you find the following scripture verses encouraging and they fill you with the hope that God is faithful in all things and through all things. Let’s remember that Christ died not mainly to make things go well with us, but to bring us closer to God! How exciting that we can have joy in our trials because no matter what comes our way, God is our salvation and strength!

James 1:2, 12- “Count it ALL joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Psalm 23:4- “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Isaiah 41:10- “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will up hold your righteous right hand.”

Romans 8:28- “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18- “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory, beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are transient, for the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Psalm 18:1-2- “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 40:2- “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

Romans 5:3-5- “…We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 8:18- “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Romans 12:12- “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Colossians 1:24- “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.”

Nahum 1:7- “The Lord is good, a stronghold in times of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

2 Corinthians 12:9- “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

1 Corinthians 10:13- “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

1 Peter 1:6-7- “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 4:19- “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

1 Peter 4:12-13- “Behold, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

1 Peter 5:10- “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Philippians 4:19- “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 23:6- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!”

Psalm 84:11- “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Romans 8:28- “For those who love God all tings work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Thank You for the trials
For the fire, for the pain
Thank You for the strength
Knowing You have ordained
Every day
- SG Music

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.
-Sara Groves

Though trials come
And every one
Can take me further from Your truth
You calm my fears
Dry all my tears
And draw me closer, Lord, to You
-SG Music

“Two women looked through prison bars,
One saw mud the other saw stars”
-Linda Dillow

Where are you looking today?