The Season of Giving

So after reading "In Style" magazine I was inspired by all the celebrities who chose a charity to support for the holiday. Specifically, inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker who is an avid supporter of the NYC Ballet, I decided this year to donate to Ballet Magnificat! Ballet Magnificat! was founded in 1986 with the desire to share the Good News through the art of dance. *Side note: In Latin Magnificat! means "to magnify Him." Ballet Magnificat! performs all over the world (And I so wish I could see them perform!) and seeks to show their audience Christ's love through dance. A great organization with a great message. 

My goal is to every year around this time (because it's so cliche to do that) is to pick an organization and donate a small portion of money to them. (I'd actually like to do it more than once a year, but I'm a college student with soooo much money). Something else I stumbled upon was that every summer Ballet Magnificat! has a Summer Dance Intensive and so every year they're looking for volunteers to be counselors for the dancers (A.K.A. Dorm Parents). I would really like to volunteer this summer. I think it would be a great opportunity, not only to maybe refine my own dancing skills, but also to grow in faith and help others grow in faith. Sure, I should be concentrating more on getting a job *cough Mom cough* but you know what, I figure God will provide. He provided me with a job a couple summers ago when it looked like I wasn't going to get one. I have to have faith that I will this summer too. And if I have an opportunity to volunteer for a good cause why should I not take it? God commands us to serve others and to love others as we love ourselves and that's what I want to do this summer. Now I just have to come up with roughly $400, money to get me there (Ballet Magnificat! is in Jackson, MS), 3 letters of recommendation, and convince my parents to let me go....good thing I have until May. :)

Find out more about Ballet Magnificat! at their website: www.balletmagnificat.com

I know it's a little late, but...I don't care

The first week back from Thanksgiving break. It was such a good break! And a much needed one!

 Our family does the tradition every year of going around the room and saying what we're thankful for after my dad says the prayer and I just wanted to share a few things that I'm thankful for (and what my family said too).

1. My family of course because they're awesome! More specifically Grace. She's been a huge blessing in my life and I never thought I could love somebody (especially a baby, because I'm not very good with babies) this much. And I'm thankful that she remembers me every time I come home from school. :)

2. My puppy Petey because dogs are wonderful and it's proven that people with pets live longer. :)

3. That I am saved through faith in Christ Jesus and can worship freely and that I was raised in a Christian home.

4. The gift of music and the ability to hear. Music soothes the soul and makes me feel good. :)

5. I'm thankful for the caring staff and professors at Bethel that are always there for me when I need them. And that I can actually afford to go to Bethel. :)

6. That I know ASL and can communicate with Deaf people.

7. My friends, both at home and at school. I'm a lot to deal with so anybody that can handle my personality is a trooper. :)

8. I have the ability to read and see the world around me (that God so beautifully created)

9. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. chances. :)

10. Blogging, I like it a lot and is a great therapy. :)

11. That this semester is almost over. :)

12. Chiropractors! They're life-savers!

13. And my personal favorite that my dad says every year...indoor plumbing and toilet paper because I could never pee outside so hopefully I never get stuck in the woods. :)

"Being rich in money and things doesn't last. Being rich in the Lord and people last forever."

Everyday I recite this quote and try and remind myself of its words. And everyday I try and convince myself that if God knew I needed another job or money, He would make sure I was provided for. But as a college student who's going to be in school an extra year because of a sucky poor life choice I made my freshman year, the youngest of three, stressed out makes okay money parents, car owner, on the verge of becoming a shopaholic, and suffers from chronic stress/anxiety/worry/depression/pain/pity-me syndrome (if you couldn't already tell I made that up. That's not a real disease). So...this combination is not a very good one. And you know I'm not some lazy hobo that sits on my butt all day. I got classes. I have homework. And more homework. And more homework. And you know I don't want to be a pathetic wallflower who has no fun like I was last year, but sometimes I just don't know when to say no to people and then later I regret going and hanging out at the mall instead of staying in my dorm working on homework, but really the only reason I worry about homework is because I want to do well in my classes, but I want to do well in my classes mostly because I want to keep my 3.0 so that I can keep my scholarship. Otherwise I'll have to take out more loans and add another 10 years on to paying them off and I'll being listening to my parents bitch (that's right I said bitch, that's how upset I am right now) about me getting a job and wasting their money and doing better in classes and paying for crap, but you know what, I really don't want to be dependent on my parents. I hate that I'm a spoiled brat that sometimes has to ask for money and usually gets it but would not know how to live without my parents. So you know after I try to remind myself of my dad's quote (yeah, that's right my dad said that) it's followed by a but and this long shpeel that I just gave.......and scene!
I think I'm done venting now.

Ahh...JJ you always know what to say...Remember God will love me for me.

Oh the joys of being a Lutheran

Oh jeez, you know you're a Lutheran when you wish somebody a Happy Reformation day or All Saints Day and they have no idea what you're talking about. So yesterday was Halloween and the chapel speaker, you know mentioned something about today being a pagan holiday or something along those lines blah blah blah...well, you know what, yesterday was also Reformation Day. By no means is that a pagan holiday.

Reformation day was when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Fives Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This triggered the Reformation movement. Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses in revolt to the Catholic church (no offense to Catholics, I respect you very much!) who believed in things like purgatory, the selling of indulgences, and that we are saved by good works. Luther only intended for his Theses to bring up discussion, but it turned into the Reformation and a lot more denominations than we had started with. Luther did not agree with the Catholic teaching. He believed that we are saved by faith in Christ Jesus and His grace alone (however, good works are how we serve our God and His  people, and can help build up our faith).
I feel like many people view Luther poorly (and I agree that what he said about Jews wasn't very nice) but I do think that we should thank and honor him for his work because first of all, he really did not think that highly of himself, he was always trying to figure out what God wanted from him and to honor him. He did not want to be known as a saint or to have Lutheranism named after him, because it was God's work and God's church. And second of all, if it wasn't for Luther, unless you're Catholic, your church or denomination or whatever you want to call it would not be here......end of story.

Now All Saints Day is a Catholic holiday, but some Protestant churches celebrate it, my church does. Basically, it's one day out of the year that we commemorate all the saints that have gone before us. Our church lists off everybody in our congregation who has passed away within the last year and rings the bell for each. It's kind of like the country's Veteran's Day or President's Day.

Ok, that's all.

Wow, I just realized I am definitely my father's child....a little sad.

Someone Worth Dying For

You might be the wife,
Waiting up at night
You might be the man,
Struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless

Maybe you're the son,
Who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl,
Thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God can you hear me?
Oh God are you listening?

(Chorus)
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking, what everybody's asking

Chorus

You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah the Cross has proven
That you're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose

You are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see you're something beautiful
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you
Are someone worth dying for

You're someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for
I love this song! I listen to it anytime I need to feel uplifted. I am someone worth dying for and someone did die for me. His name is Jesus and He's my Lord and Savior!

Down Memory Lane

So this past week has brought back so many memories from my freshman year of college. Unfortunately these are not good memories. With the situation I'm going through right now sometimes I feel like it's worse than freshman year, but then when I stop and think about it I realize how much better it actually is. Sure, the present situation has caused me a lot more trouble and grief, but I've had so much more support and the staff here has done so much for me to make it better (more than I can say about the staff freshman year). It's a constant reminder of God's presence and how my mom has been right all along (yes, I can't believe I just admitted that) and God has blessed me with wonderful people and I am being taken care of. It's such a relief to know that....

 Freshman year with the best gal ever!

Shekinah Glory! 

Sophomore year

Junior year service day!

Junior year

Me at apple picking, that's my favorite ring that I lost so if you see it...please give it back! Please and Thanks!

There could never be a more beautiful you!

Today at 5 Star we talked to our group of kids about labels. Unfortunately, everybody is going to get labeled. Sometimes we like those labels and sometimes we don't. The important thing to realize is that you can choose what to label yourself as and you can accept or reject those labels.

One label I think every person should have and believe in...

            

Gracie, I hope you know that!

"God has made everything beautiful in its time."-Ecclesiastes 3:11