New Hour, New Day, New Year...

Well Happy New Year everyone!!! It's the start of a new year, as well as some new resolutions for some people. Have you ever wondered why we wait until a new year to change? Sure, I understand the tradition of it and all, but why not change NOW? We live in a society full of procrastinators (and yes I am one of them). We put everything off and say, "Oh, I'll do that later. I have time tomorrow." Do we ever get to the things when we say we will (well, besides my mother who gets most everything done when she says she will)? Most of the time we don't. A lot of times we do this same thing in our relationship with Christ. We say, "Oh, I'll do that later, God. I have time to speak to that person tomorrow. Maybe I'll change what You're telling me to change tomorrow...or next year." However, we aren't guaranteed a next year, or a tomorrow, or a next hour. We aren't even guaranteed our next breath.

13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” -James 4:13-15

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. -Proverbs 27:1

We really don't know what tomorrow holds. Therefore, we shouldn't act as is we are guaranteed tomorrow. Now we still need to live our daily lives to the fullest all for the glory of God, but we shouldn't think that we will see tomorrow. We should stop procrastinating because we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. We should stop waiting around to change until tomorrow or to read our Bible or to spend more time with God in prayer. We should start doing these things today...not wait until the next New Year's Day. Afterall, we have no clue when Jesus is coming back, and that could be before we get around to all of the changing we've been planning on doing.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. -2 Peter 3:10

In my Sunday School class at church we recently talked a lot about the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We talked about how wonderful it will be when He does come, but we also discussed how we should be prepared for that day. As the verse above says, we have no clue when Jesus will come back. When we think about a thief, we never expect his coming (now we can expect Jesus' return, we just don't know WHEN that is). And when the thief comes, he is here and gone before we even know what happened. However, we can be prepared for him (the thief). We can lock our doors and make sure we have an alarm set and a phone by our bed so we can call the police if it should ever happen. In the same way we can be preparing for Christ's return. We need to consistently read our Bible so we can guard our hearts against the enemy and so we can learn how God would like us to live. We need to be praying throughout our days so we can maintain a relationship with God...afterall, really the only way to have a relationship with someone is to talk to them, and the more you talk to that person the more you get to know that person. It's the same way in our relationship with God. We also need to always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you [we] have (1 Peter 3:16). Afterall, for those of us who have accepted Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and who have chosen to follow Him for the rest of our lives, we know the goodness and love and grace and mercy and compassion of God. So why aren't we always looking for ways to share it through our words and actions (and I'm talking to myself a lot on this one). I know it is a constant struggle to show God's love to everyone, especially to the cashier who's scanning everyone's items as slow as molasses and to the car that cut in front of us and to the girl or boy that is constantly putting people down. However, do you really want them to go to hell? And yes, I believe with all of my heart that hell is a real place, a place I don't want any of my friends to be. So are we preparing for Jesus' return in that way too...by telling and showing (because actions speak louder than words) who Jesus really is to the world?

So don't wait until the last minute (or the New Year) and be a procrastinator...start changing today, loving people the way God wants you to love them, and anything else He's been convicting you of lately.

Annie ♥

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to tell you "Merry Christmas" as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Lord, and King, Jesus Christ.

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

How Many Kings

Last year I heard the song, "How Many Kings," for the first time. It was such a moving song that really talks about Jesus' humility. Jesus is the King above ALL kings. If any of "us humans" had that title, we'd expect people to serve us...afterall, we would feel like we deserve it. However, this was not Jesus' attitude at all. He came in the form of a baby...a person that needs so much care and time and attention, a person that can do very little by himself, a person who has to be fed and bathed and changed and clothed, a person who can't even talk when he is first born...this is the form that the Ruler of all things came in. What humility to show everyone that the person who can do anything and everything (Jesus) came as someone who can't really do anything at all. What humility Jesus showed to everyone when He deserved to be born in a palace made of gold but instead was born in a stable. What humility to give up His place as King and Lord and become the least for you and me. What humility God showed the world when He gave up His Son for all of us...for a world that's broken and torn and imperfect. All in all, Jesus showed humility to the world. And if Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was humble, how then do we act when we're nothing, when we sin all the time, when we should be the ones serving God?

Here's the song with lyrics of "How Many Kings..."

Awake Tonight

So this post is more for fun than anything else, and it is also an update on this year's Winter Wonder Slam...

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to go to the annual Winter Wonder Slam concert (also called the "Awake Tonight Tour" this year) with my youth group. This is a concert Toby Mac does annually with other artists, and this year it happened to be Shonlock and Skillet.

Shonlock started out our evening and was magnificent. He had some really great songs that got everyone pumped and also did some fantastic dance moves that I can't even begin to attempt. (I think it would give everyone a good laugh if I did try to do them, though.) ☺

Then came Skillet. They have never been my favorite band, but they did a fantastic job Friday night. I even sang some of the songs with them. I also have to tell you how talented they are...the drummer is a girl and one of the best drummers I've ever heard. I just watched her in amazement playing the drums AND singing, which is such a hard thing to do. Then the violinist and cellist also outdid anything I could've imagined..."WOW" is all I can say. And the bass player and electric guitarist were also phenomenally stunning. I especially loved hearing some of the stories behind the songs...they were very touching. All in all, Skillet did a WONDERFUL job!

And of course for the grand finale and main attraction of the evening....

TOBY MAC!!! He was awesome (as usual). He and his Diverse City Crew promised their all and gave us beyond that. They performed for about an hour and a half straight. I still don't know how this forty-something year old dad has the energy to jump around and sing for that long. I have to tell you that I was so excited to be with other "Jesus Freaks" playing some "Funky Jesus Music" and being a "City on Our Knees." I was definitely doing some fist pumping and lots of singing, probably embarassing myself to death. ☺ I'm sure the people two rows back from us who were obviously bigger fans of Skillet thought I was nuts. During the concert we were also reminded that we are "Made to Love" in this "Diverse City." We had a great time of worship...it's really cool when you're surrounded by other Christians and people who love Jesus and can just worship Him together.

All in all, it was a night of fun with some wonderful friends in my youth group who acted crazy with me. ☺

-Annie ♥

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's that time of year again! The leaves have changed, people are traveling to Grandma's house, trees are being decorated, and over-eating has started. Not to mention the fact that Christmas music is being played on every radio station and some type of Christmas movie is always showing on TV. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

However, for some, it is also one of the hardest times of the year. Sometimes all people experience is the stress of trying to please everyone with the gifts they want, making sure they see every single family member, decorating, and...well, you get the picture. It's also a time of year when loved ones that have passed away are remembered and missed a little more than usual, which also brings more stress and sadness.

What most people, including myself, forget a lot of times is that this time of year is a time to experience joy, peace, hope, love, selflessness, thankfulness, and so many other things. So this year, I'm going to try to concentrate on experiencing all of those wonderful gifts that God has given me, instead of any of the other feelings people have around this time of year. Maybe you can be that little light of Jesus to the world as a reminder of who He is and what this time of year is all about. And after that, hopefully you and I will continue to be a reminder of Jesus and who He is instead of simply during this time of year, because after all...It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

The Feast

The Feast. It sounds like a Thanksgiving feast filled with turkey and corn casserole and rolls and the other traditional Thanksgiving day foods, right? Well, not exactly. The Feast is an event at my church that we have been holding for four years now. And what it is is a school-on-school competition to see who can eat the most hamburgers. I know this sounds crazy or insane or weird or gross or any of the above, but it is an event that many students at the local high schools have come to know.

I love the Feast. It is a time for worship and a message, as well as a time for stuffing your face with tons of hamburgers. However, it's a little more than just that. It's a time for a seed to be planted. These kids may come for some free food that they can actually eat, but they are also being able to intake some free spiritual food. It gives them an opportunity to experience God's love and what He has to say to them. And I am someone who is all about the seed being planted...because it only takes one. After it's planted, it's our job to leave it up to God to grow it. Now that may include God nudging us to invite them to church again or it might include just loving them and showing them who God is. But one thing I do know is that every single kid there last night was there for a reason and I can't wait to see God's plan unfold in their lives. :)