The Good News of Christmas

It's amazing how God works in our lives. This summer radically changed my life in more ways than one. I grew to appreciate more and better understand the foundations of my faith. I learned its simplicity, yet how dynamic and life-changing it is. Living in a place where I was the minority, because of my citizenship, but also because of my faith, really showed me how precious my faith was and how much my Father valued me as his child.
I am one of the billions who have had the privilege to know my heavenly Father in a way most people will never understand. I can talk to the creator of life at any point of the day. Despite the fact that he is overseer of everything created, he cares about the smallest details in my life.
Knowing how powerful the Good News is overwhelms me. I am privilege to carry His name as a child carries their Father's last name wherever they go. Just how a child possess characteristics of his or her parents, so I possess characteristics of my Heavenly Father. His words are so simple, yet the most powerful.
This holiday season I have a deeper conviction for the Gospel, because I lived in a place where it was not welcomed. I walked in the places my Savior walked. I experienced the gospel as an every day reality that I still experience daily.
God gives me more grace than I deserve, yet he never gives up on me. I know when I feel someone "wronged" me I am not quick to jump back in a relationship with them, but rather keep that person at a distance. God doesn't do that. He embraces me and reminds me that he never left: it was me who walked away. He wants to welcome me back and forget I ever did anything wrong. I just need to confess and turn away from my wrong doing.
As Christmas approaches, I think of justice. Justice isn't solely executing a criminal, it's making a wrong right. God sent Christ to correct wrong (sin). The fact that he sent his most precious and perfect asset to a place filled with evil, corruption and selfishness, because his love for us, outweighed any consolation he had. That's powerful. He made the wrong right by sending Christ to be the payment for the wrongs mankind has done and will continue to do. He is the God of all people and will always be.
Christmas is not just about the baby in the manger, it's about the new creation we become when our sin is confronted with this justice. The cross is justice against every evil. My debt was paid in full: I don't have to allow evil to rule me, because I chose to allow God to rule me.
The good news is for all people of all nations, tribes, tongue and language.
The wise men were great examples to follow. I was stuck in traffic as I was driving to my college town this evening. I was talking to God and he told me that the wise men probably looked ridiculous in the eyes of those around them. They followed a star, because an angel told them to. Imagine telling your friends you saw an angel and are going on a journey to somewhere you don't even know, but not to worry, because you are following a star to get there. They were Jewish, which made it even crazier, because they were still waiting for their Messiah. AND, to top it off, the area they were walking was most likely ridiculously hot. After walking in places John and Jesus walked, I realized how hot and rugged those places really were. So, these men walked in crazy terrain, following a star, holding onto a message an angel gave them. Yet, the Word called them wise. I want faith like that: faith to do something that looks completely ridiculous, but do it, because God says so. In the end, everything was revealed, their obedience was blessed, and they were a blessing to the Savior of the world. Amazing.
Noah, God told him to build an ark in the desert where they never saw rain. That's ridiculous. Yet, God told him to do it and he did, despite what ridicule he faced. Me of all people should have the greatest faith, because I have the Word full of examples of my predecessor's faith, but also too because of how God has led me and blessed me in the past and present: he never leaves me hanging, but blesses me more than I imagine.
How does this all relate? Here it is: my God has shown me more grace than I ever could have imagined. He loves me even when I am unlovable. He is patient with me when I am not patient with him. He give to me, when I do not give to him. He overwhelms me with blessings, when I hoard things to myself and when I get distracted. My God, is a God of truth and Justice. His Word is truth. The Gospel is Justice. The Gospel transformed the people who saw it being lived out over 2,000 years ago, and it transforms now. His Word is his command to all who claim to follow him. His followers are commanded to live justly in the world as he demonstrated in his Word. Jesus allowed the Gospel to transform his life and I am called to do the same, along with every other person who claims the name of Jesus. Christmas is about God bringing justice to earth. Not to kill everyone off, but to show mankind that He created life, knows how to live it, and wants all people to live it with him and has the opportunity to, if they give up control of themselves and let God lead.

Where's Home?

Somehow i have for house keys on my key ring, all of which I have used within the past month and are in different cities. I have not had a consistent place to call home since I was 17 years old, but I would not have it any other way. It is hard, but I have accepted it. I love traveling and hope to travel through out my life. No matter where I go, I will always have my family and friends but it will be difficult because I do not know where to call home. The Word says this is not my home, but rather heaven is, since I am heaven bound. I have best friends from every stage and place in my life and have stayed in different places for significant amounts of time, but the only consistence presence in my life is God. Even thought it is hard when my friends and family, whom I love, can not relate to or understand me, I know I am not alone, because God is always with me and he knows what I am feeling and knows how to encourage me.
I have learned great lessons about life, love, family, and faith that many people don't learn until later in life.


I am part of a family that is greater than blood. No matter where i go I have family. It is hard having some of my things at my mom's house and living in another, but I have learned material things don't matter. Since graduating high school I have come to realize how insignificant things are.
Traveling to third-world countries have really changed my perspective on life and what is really important. In Zimbabwe the people there had nothing, yet they had so much faith and had smiles on their faces. I saw real faith there and learned that it's not about things but people. As long as I have people I love and people who love me, things will be fine.

One major thing I learned in the past four years was this: it's about loving God and loving others. If you're doing both, everything will be taken care of.