On the 12th day of Christmas...Merry Christmas from the Roberts

Well Christmas has came! The presents have been unwrapped, the Christmas story has been read, Christmas dinner has been eaten, and it has been great so far!

 Some doodling I did last night :) the greatest gift is Jesus❤

Here's a recap of Christmas at the Roberts house: I woke up a little after 8 this morning...I was excited ;) I made waffles, ran to my parents room like 3 times trying to get them out of bed. Finally they did, then me and Manda had to get josh and Caleb up...lets just say teenage boys don't really care about presents when they're sleeping lol. By the time I finished the waffles everyone was awake {yay}.

 Took this when I woke up...so pretty! 

 I tried my best to do a Pinterest idea...the cute little green christmas waffles. Lets just say its harder than It looks lol. I made a few plain waffles, then added green food coloring and made a few of those and then added chocolate chips in the last few waffles. When you have a large family you have to try to please everyone. Some don't like food coloring, and some don't like chocolate chips...so I made some of each :) i made a huge mess and even got some of an egg shell in the waffle mix and my green waffles were (somehow) only green on the inside, but I thought they were really tasty. I even added some Christmas sprinkles on top! Sprinkles make everything better. 

 

Me and Manda watched some little Christmas nativity cartoon, soon after it was finally time to open the gifts! I handed mine out first. Although I don't have a job nor do I have much money, I wanted so bad to give each of my family a gift. I wasn't going to give anything and the other night I decided I really wanted to give what I could so to town I went. It's the thought that counts, right? I started handing the other gifts out.

Wrapping paper starts flying everywhere. I hear "yes!", "yay" and "thank you"...Christmas is so great. I deserve nothing but I received so much! My parents are so awesome and I'm thankful to God we had presents under our tree. Some people woke up to an empty tree. 

Please know whatever you were given today was undeserved. I don't believe in Santa Claus because if he was real no one would ever get any gifts. I've been given so much in my life...so many gifts. Gifts of love, grace, mercy, peace, faith, help, friends, family, breath, a Savior, a home, legs to walk with, food to eat, hearing, heart beat after heart beat, eyes to see with and so much more! It all comes from above {James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.} the greatest gift of all is Jesus. Like the verse says, he came down from the Father...I'm thankful he came. The world would be forever dark without him.

Here are some pictures from our Christmas :)

 

My brother might kill me but oh well. I told him he looked like Joseph from the Bible ;)

 He finally took a pic with me.

 Me about to look at what was in my stocking! So fun!

 That's a gallon sized bag full of candy!!! 

My fav gift from my parents...a Jane Seymour open heart necklace! I've been wanting one...my mom has a lot of the open hearts jewelry and I've always thought it was so pretty. Happy to join the open hearts world.

Here are most of my gifts. 4 shirts, a sweater, skirt, mascara, benefit concealer, eye shadow, hair straightener and spray, body wash, hello kitty pj pants (yay), hello kitty watch, 6 scarves (only 2 in this pic) a new devotional, new boots, socks, Vera Bradley Bible case, leggings, face wash, and lots of jewelry! Totally loving that pink chevron top!!

 Got another hello kitty watch! I now have 5

This happens every year...my mom forgets to give me one of my gifts. This year it was my blanket! For the record if you ever wanna buy me a gift but don't know what I'd like just get me a blanket ;)) seriously I get blankets for my birthday (which is in June) and Christmas. I actually use them all. As I type this I am snuggled up in my new super soft blanket❤❤❤

After opening gifts daddy read the Christmas story to us...the true meaning of Christmas.

 First Matthew...

 Then Luke.

 For dinner...We had deviled eggs, homemade mashed potatoes and Mac-and-cheese, and grilled chicken and pork loin. My daddy loves to grill us food on his awesome Traeger grill and it always tastes so delicious!

Soon after we ate most of my family took naps...I didnt. Instead I had a fashion show in the hallway. I was excited to try on my new clothes! I love everything I got.

Later we got in the SUV and drove around looking at lights. Somehow we ended up at Tiny Town in easley. It was soo cold! Thank The Lord for heat. Here are a few pictures.

 Blurry:/

 Santa taking a bubble bath😂😂

 Here's my mom and dad.

 My camera is broken...this is me and my mommy...love her!

 I thought this doll was cute lol

 Caleb didn't want to come so he's missing.

 Me, manny Kay and J (and uncle Si lol)

 Me and Manda 

We are back home and eating again...we eat a lot! Apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream 💛 

 My mom made this picture!

I hope all my readers have had a magical Christmas Day! Lets allow CRISTmas to live in our hearts all year long! I am so happy Jesus was born and to know he did it all for me❤ I could never say thank you enough or give him anything comparable to all he's given me...the only thing I can do is give myself. I love the song the collingsworth family sing called 'my gift is me'. 

 My Gift Is Me :

What I have to give to you

Can not be bought or sold

It can't be wrapped up in a box

Or tied with strings of gold

It isn't perfect and you'll see

It isn't even new

But Jesus, it's the only treasure

I can give to you.

Me...my gift is me

All I am and all I'll ever be

I'm not ashamed

For the world to see

That it's me, 

My gift is me.

Jesus, you're the greatest gift

The world will ever know

Coming down from heaven 

Just to leave your Love below

With all you have done for me

The least that I can do

Is give all that I know of me

To all I know of You.

Me...my gift is me

All I am and all I'll ever be

I'm not ashamed

For the world to see

That it's me, 

My gift is me.

Of all the gifts man could give

It's nice to know

That I can give His favorite gift

The one that thrills Him so

Me...my gift is me

All I am and all I'll ever be

I'm not ashamed

For the world to see

That it's me, 

My gift is me.

Me....My gift is me.

Jesus is the greatest gift ever...nothing down here could ever compare. I am nothing but he loves when we give ourselves to him. My preacher preached a message Sunday about what gift we can give Jesus for Christmas. The wise men gave frankincense, gold and myrrh when Jesus was a baby, but Jesus is no longer a baby and doesn't need that anymore...he wants: YOU.

Y-yield

O-offering(sacrifice)

U-use

If we are yielded and sacrifice for Him then he can use us. I desire God in my life and on my life.I know I'll never be content doing my own thing. I'm not perfect and I'm definitely nothing special but if I allow him to have his will and way he can make a beautiful masterpiece out of me. I want Jesus to use me. I dont want to put him in a box. Over the past month and a half I have seen God do some amazing things all because we let him. once we get out of his way He can do anything! I'm looking forward to what he has planned for the new year. He has been so wonderful this year. Good night friends! Merry CHRISTmas

Love,

May-May

On the 11th day of Christmas...Mary Ponders

Luke 2:19

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Jesus has been born, the shepherds just left to go tell others what they'd seen and heard and Mary takes some time to ponder in her heart what had happened. I'm sure it was very surreal. I heard a quote that went something like this, "he can turn your how? Into wow" I bet Mary felt like God had turned her how into wow! Mary had just seen and been apart of the greatest thing to ever happen on earth; the birth of the Savior! She was his mother. She was chosen by God and used in a way like no other.

She never wanted to forget! She wanted to keep it all in her heart. She didn't want to ever get over what God had done. She was not the same person, she had been changed. Everyone who knew her viewed her differently because of her calling. She was a virgin but had a son. When others found out she was pregnant they assumed the worst and no one believed her. But she went on for God and continued to be his vessel. He chose her because she was humble, available and clean. Now she sat and held the Son of God in her arms.

One of the definitions of ponder is to help. She began to think of all that had happened in the past 9 months. She remembered the night the angel came and told her God wanted to use her. The fear she felt was great but she yielded her body and obeyed. She couldn't forget the comments of all the people she thought had loved her. She remembered visiting Elisabeth and hearing her say the same thing as the angel, "blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1:28, 42)  I'm sure there were times where she didn't feel blessed but confused and alone...but at those times she remembered the angel telling her "The Lord is with thee"(Luke 1:28). She remembered Joseph standing by her side after the angel told him what she was saying was the truth. What she went through was long and hard but she could see clearly now it had brought her closer to God. It had made her better. She knew her tiny newborn son was born to die for everyone's sins including hers. Pondering all these things helped her that night and many more nights throughout her life. 

Sometimes we wonder what God is doing and nothing makes sense. This is when we need to stop, and ponder and remember all God has done for us! It seems easier to remember the bad but God has give me much more good in my life than bad. Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Happy Christmas Eve!!❤ 

Love, May-May

On the 10th day of Christmas...Candy Canes and Christ

Tonight we had S.n.a.p. after church. It stands for Sunday Night at the preacher's house. It was for the middle schoolers and high schoolers but I got to help. I had a lot of fun eating, laughing, and playing games. One of the games we played was with cany canes. We had one in our mouth and had to pick up other candy canes from a pile. The catch was you could only use your mouth. It was harder than it sounds lol. This brace face actually got 3 so I was pretty proud!

Candy canes are a symbol of Christmas. When you start seeing boxes of candy canes in the stores you know Christmas is right around the corner! Back in the old days there was only one flavor...peppermint. Today there are all kinds to choose from. But it doesn't really matter what flavor or color it is whenever I see a candy cane it makes me think of Jesus.

Probably about 10 years ago I was at my papa and grandmas house in NC for Christmas and they had the Legend of the Candy cane book setting out. I read it for the first time and really enjoyed it. I wish I had my own copy because I'd probably read it ever year if I did :) Candy Canes have a sweet meaning and as well a sweet taste. 

"The story tells of a Candy maker in Indiana who wanted to make a candy that would help us remember who Christmas is really about.  So he made a Christmas Candy Cane.  He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy.  White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus.  Hard candy to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the name of Jesus.  It also represented the staff of the “Good Shepherd”.

The candymaker then included red stripes.  He used three small stripes and a large red stripe to represent the suffering Christ endured at the end of his life."

I think my favorite part of the candy cane would have to be its shape! I love that J...it makes me think of Jesus. And the fact that he is my shepherd. When I looked this stuff up tonight to refresh my mind I found an article stating the belief that the candy cane has a Christian background is false, but I disagree. To much about it points to Him. It is sad how hard people work and maneuver things to constantly try to prove (normally to themselves) Jesus isn't real. It makes me think of what my preacher said this morning...all those who try to get rid of Jesus, take him out of Christmas, those offended by Christ in Christmas, the unbelievers, the God haters one day soon will all bow and proclaim with their own tongue that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. The bible says: Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

You might not want to believe now but one day you will. Bow now or bow later, either way you will bow. itmcomes dow. To where younwant to soend eternity...heavem or hell? Jesus was born and died for the sins of the world. If you're reading this than that includes you! Like the candy cane says he was and is pure, perfect, sinless, he is the rock and he never lies, he suffered and died so we could have a way to escape what we truly deserve...Hell. He is whatever you need and he never leads anyone wrong.

I hope everyone has a "Happy Christmas Adam" tomorrow! I can not believe there's only 3 more days til Christmas! I'm excited of course...but I hate when it ends. It comes and is gone too fast every year❤❤❤

On the 9th day of Christmas...He lights up my world

I love Christmas lights...especially outside in the dark. It seems to me that people used to decorate their houses a lot more than they do now. This year it has seemed kinda dark out without the normal houses lit up. 

Some still go all out though...Last weekend we went to a house in Mauldin, SC that was the most lit up house I'd ever seen! It felt soo Christmasy! The owner starts decorating in October, and his electricity bill is over $2000 during the time he has the lights on! He doesn't charge but gladly accepts donations. We were even given free hot chocolate and popcorn to enjoy while we walked around the yard and house. I have to add that they even had a projector playing ELF (my fav Christmas movie) on the garage door. I munched on my popcorn and sipped hot chocolate and breathed in the beautiful lights while I watched a few minutes of elf. It was quite perfect. I hope we go back again!! If you live in this area I highly recommend it...be careful where you park though. Since its in a neighborhood the parking can be difficult. 

Anyways I'm thankful for lights. I'm so glad God made the sun, moon and the stars and then later touched Thomas Edison and helped him make the first light bulb. I don't like the dark, never have and never will. I was that little girl that had to have a night light and would not touch the dark, scary floor until morning came. 

Darkness is overwhelming. For most darkness leads to fear. Flip on the light and those fears vanish away. Thats the way it is with Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. When he is there you dont have to be afraid. He came to this dark world so he could shine his light. He is the greatest Christmas light. 

John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

It doesn't matter how dark a persons world might be, Jesus has all power and is able to light up anyone and everyone's life. Sometimes I feel so alone and in the dark (even though the sun is shining outside) the devil comes messing with me and I feel confused...but I know where to turn to. His word is the lamp unto my feet and the light of my path! When I feel lost and can't see what to do his word helps me see clearly. Jesus is the Word...we can pray and we can read the Bible (word). I don't know how people make it on there own without him in this dark, mean world.

Psalms 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 

John 1:1-5 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Is his light shining in your life? Are you shining and showing others in darkness the light of the world? We need to make sure we don't let our light go out! Keep it Christmas in your heart all year long!

On the 8th day of Christmas...don't be a Grinch or a Scrooge

Do you know anyone who has is lacking the Christmas spirit? I always think of Scrooge and the Grinch. Did you ever notice why Scrooge was such a Scrooge? Or why the Grinch was such a grinch? Neither had family. They did at one time but lost or ran from the ones who loved them. Both didn't have many who loved them but we cant deny they were loved. They chose to be alone and mean and shut out the world.

God loves families. He doesn't want anyone to be alone...that's why he gave each of us a family. Mine is quite interesting (lol) but I love it. My close family consists of my parents, brothers, Josh and Caleb and my sister Mandalyn. We have no family around us except each other. My mom's family live in NC and my Dad's side of the family live in Oregon and Washington. It's hard not having grandma in the same town like many people I know. It's hard to only get to see the ones you love every few months or once every few years. Nonetheless I am thankful for family and I try my best to make the most of the time we get to have together.

 In my opinion one of the best things about the Christmas Season is family. How sad it is to think of those who will be alone this Christmas. I've noticed on Facebook many people have lost loved ones this month. This is the hardest time to lose someone. The other day marked 4 years since my Gramme died. She had a heart attack one night and never woke up. It was shocking, unexpected, and sad. So I do know the pain some are going through. Don't let a loss steal your joy.

Some people will be alone not because they've lost someone but because they got hurt and couldn't forgive. Forgiving is one of the hardest things to do but holding a grudge does nothing but make the issue worse. I've had to forgive some people even though they didn't ask for it. People are mean, family can be rude, mean and break your heart but don't let that turn you into a Scrooge or grinch. Family is forever; don't forget that.

Maybe you don't have a real family...open your heart and let The Lord be that for you. I know many claim the verse Psalms 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. I've never had my parents turn their back on me and everyday of my life they have been there for me with arms full of love. I know now days many young people don't have caring parents but He can be all you need. God can give you a friend, a church family, or someone else who might be lonely too. The Lord loves you more than any one on earth.

We need to remember everything that happens is to draw us closer to God and his will. When something doesn't go your way or you lose someone you love don't let that ruin your attitude and your Christmas. Christmas isn't enjoyable all alone. Make sure you are with the ones you love and the ones who love you!

On the 7th day of Christmas- there room for Him?

Luke 2:7

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

I have been thinking about this little phrase for a while now. My pastor actually preached along these lines sunday morning and i really enjoyed it! Many, many years ago a very pregnant, young lady named Mary and a young man named Joseph needed a place to sleep, they saw an inn. They had traveled a long, exhausting trip from Nazareth to come to Bethlehem to pay taxes. Think about it...they didn't hop in their nice SUV and back out of the drive way and travel for just a few hours. Im sure they either had a donkey or camel that Mary rode on and Joseph led the way. It took close to a week to get to Bethlehem. I've never ridden on a donkey or camel but I can imagine it wouldn't be comfortable especially riding it for days. I complain when we travel just a few hours and we have it a whole lot better than they did. They weren't going on vacation or to see family but to pay taxes...that would make the trip even less delightful.

They finally made it to Bethlehem and were worn out. Mary was close to having Jesus and she needed a place to rest. Joseph searched for an inn. They find one and I'm sure they were excited about getting a place to sleep. Sadly the inn keeper had no room.

I am sure the inn keeper had heard of the coming baby Jesus, but he had no room for him. I feel like I am this way a lot of times in my life. I wonder why he turned them away. Maybe he was too busy, or was too worried about what others might think. Maybe he was afraid it might upset the other guests in the inn. Maybe he really had no room. Either way he said no, and our Savior was later born in a stable with dirty animals, Mary had no bed to lay him in so she placed him in a manger. A manger that held the animals food. The Son of God was born in the lowest place...as I wrote the other day I am amazed at his humility! 

My pastor said something I'd never thought about...why didn't the inn keeper give up his own room? Why are we so unloving toward the needy? it was only for one night. If someone needed your room or help would you give it? would you really give the clothes off your back? Mary needed a room a whole lot more than the inn keeper did! But he didn't have room and on top of that he didn't make room.

              -Manger means "a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock." (websters dictionary) When I looked up the defintion I read a comment that reminded me that he is the word and the word is our bread. We are to chew and keep chewing what God shows us in his word. The stable was all apart of God's plan...if there had been a room for them I don't think the story of his birth would be as amazing or interesting. 

Christmas is about giving gifts not getting. God gave his only Son. Jesus gave his life. Everyday God keeps on giving to us. But what do we give him?

One thing I know i can give Jesus is to make room for him. Take time to spend with him. Christmas is such a busy time of year and it is easy to lose sight of what matters most...Him!

Spend time with him, don't turn him away. If you don't make room for Jesus in your heart...he won't make room for you. If you don't know him you are missing out. He is the best gift ever!!! I've been given a lot in my life but nothing compares to him! Just knowing he is there and cares for me...I wouldn't trade him for anything!❤💛 

On the 6th day of Christmas--Practice Jesus

My mom shared this poem the other night while speaking at our ladies Christmas ornament swap at church. She spoke about having less of me and more of Him. {{John 3:30--He must increase, but I must decrease.}} 

Practice Jesus

If we practiced Jesus every way,

It'd be like Christmas every day;

If we, like Him, we're meek and mild

And loved each woman, man and child,

If we'd read our Bible, it'd remind us, 

So that every single day would find us

More and more in sweet accord

With our sweet Jesus- Master, Lord.

Then every day that we're alive 

Would be like December 25.

-anonymous 

I love Christmas and I want it to be like Christmas every day! :)

On the 5th day of Christmas-Ornaments for the tree

Yesterday we were reminded that Christmas is about the tree...what goes on the tree? Ornaments of course! Lots and lots of different and beautiful kinds of ornaments. On our Christmas tree there's a wide variety, some big, some small, some handmade, some simple, some that sparkle, and some that jingle. Each is different but each makes me smile...that is what God wants others to do when they see us. The bible says we are to die daily and take up our (own) cross just as Jesus did. He wants us to have a  meek and quiet spirit to put on our tree. The verse actually says to hide it in the heart but whatever is in your heart will show up on the outside too.

 Here is a pic of my newest ornaments I got from the ornament swap we had at church the other night. I totally love them!

Like I said above we are all different (each of God's designs are beautiful and unique) but our attitude can make us look quite ugly...make sure this Christmas and everyday you put on a quiet (still, silent, calm, peacful) and meek (humble and mild) attitude! This is much easier said than done. We need to remember the lost are watching closely and we are supposed to be different. Also remember the word of God is an ornament of grace (kindness, beauty, and favor), show others grace like God has shown you. The Bible teaches us how to be quiet, meek and graceful. 

Below are a few verses showing us what Gods favorite ornaments are like. Please read them.

1 Peter 3:4

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Proverbs 1:7-10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 My son, hear the instruction of thy father,

and forsake not the law of thy mother:

 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,

and chains about thy neck.

I am thankful for all the meanings behind the traditions we have. Most people have no idea that just about every aspect of Christmas is pointing to and showing us the Word (the Lord Jesus Christ). Check back tomorrow for another day of Christmas :)

On the 4th day of Christmas...the Christmas tree

As you can probably tell I love Christmas! It is my most favorite time of year. Every month this year when the calendar hit 25 I let everyone know exactly how many months it was until Christmas. I love the decorations, the pretty lights, the movies, the music, the sweets and the tree! In a way it's like Christmas decorations are focused around the tree. Who decorates for Christmas without a tree? I sure don't. We have a few different Christmas trees we put up in our house. I love decorating them and thinking about the memories each ornament has.

Even the tree points to Christ. If you haven't learned about the history of Christmas I recommend you do that. A few years ago I heard a Sunday school lesson about it. I learned some great things. Today I want to talk about the tree. It's not Christmas without the tree. :)

There are 3 ways to look at it. Take a look at your tree:

1. it has 3 sides. There is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. You can't have one without having the others. 

2. The tree of Calvary where Jesus died for the sins of the world. The greatest tree of all! I am thankful He died for me!

3. Christmas trees aren't like the other trees...all the other trees I see have bare branches. Christmas trees stay green all year long. Like our Lord they never change with the changes of the seasons. 

What do you see when you look at your tree?

Below is a little poem I wrote. Come back tomorrow for more :)

On the third day of Christmas- Good tidings of great joy...meeting baby Jesus

Don't you love how different God's mind is from ours. Of all the people in the world he sends the angel to the lowly shepherds who were watching over their flock. He sends the angel to tell them the Savior is born and to invite them to go visit him! I never really noticed this before tonight but Jesus is a shepherd (the true shepherd) and the first people besides Mary and Joseph to get to meet the Savior were the shepherds. The wise men came later when Jesus was around 2 years old. I love how God always uses the little, the young, the dumb, the poor, those who are nothing special and he makes himself real to them and shows them his glory! They were told first hand that "peace on earth and good will toward men" had finally come! And because they went and search for the babe in the manger they got to welcome sweet baby Jesus to earth. Just think of it, the one who would die on an old rugged cross just 33 and a half years later, they got to see and worship as a newborn baby! I think that is so awesome!

Here is the account of the shepherds:

 Luke 2:8-17 KJV

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not:for, 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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

God loves to show himself to those who he knows will humbly bow before him. Luke 2:20 says: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

 They had seen Jesus, been with Jesus and they didn't hide it. They went and told about his birth. Meeting the Savior changed them and it changed me too.

I wasn't there the day Jesus was born, I wasn't there the day he died, and I wasn't there the day he arose from the grave...but I'm so thankful for the day I met him! On May 10,2009 I met this Savior and he gave me peace indescribable, he gave me joy unspeakable, and he gave me love unfathomable! Despite my extreme unworthiness he sent the Holy Ghost to speak to my heart; he led me to an old fashion altar where I bowed my knee and my heart and became his forever. I am glad I know what Christmas is really about. He came to die for you too. ❤ 

Check back tomorrow for the 4th day of Christmas :)

On the 2nd day of Christmas- letters to God

Little kids love writing a Christmas list or letter to Santa. I love the movies where the kids don't write a list but an actually letter to santa. A letter is so much sweeter than a list. I was never taught to believe in Santa (and I'm thankful for that...why would any parent want to lie to their child...and then we wonder why there are so many unbelievers. If parents are lying about Santa how can kids be sure they're not lying about God. Just sayin'.) but we do write out lists to give to our parents each year. It helps them with the shopping. Haha. It's nice to sit down and write what you want.

 But maybe this year instead, write a letter to God. A prayer letter, a thankful letter, a love letter whatever you want. We need to remember Christmas isn't about getting "things" like iPhones, new cars, or clothes or whatever you might be wishing for; it's about the birth of our sweet Savior. Every year we celebrate his birthday and we get the gifts but He gets nothing. I for one have no gift I could give him in return for all he's given me but I can thank him. For some reason it makes him happy when we say "thanks" or "I love you Jesus." Joy stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself. Christmas is supposed to be a joyful time. The only way it can be is if we make it about Jesus and others and then yourself last.

 

I found this great pic of google...please read the the letter closest to the top. If you can't understand it here is what it says: dear God, I love you so much but your love is impassable, it is called unfailing love, it is powerful. Your love is awesome and insane. ❤ This child is wise! 

**Also something nice to do would be write a letter of encouragement to someone else. Show someone you care for and love them through your words. Words are so powerful and sometimes we forget that. You can heal a broken heart with kind words but also break a heart with harsh words. Christmas can be extremely hard for some people due to financial issues, loved ones who've died, and just because life. Write a letter and ask God what you should say and give it to someone, anyone, even a stranger. It just might give someone the Christmas spirit. 

Until tomorrow, I hope you have a very merry day!❤ 

On the first day of Christmas- O come let us adore Him

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I love everything about it. Over the next few days I will be posting different Christmas posts...12 days of Christmas. Hopefully they will be short and sweet so it won't take too much time to read. Today I will tell how Christmas is about adoring. It's the only time of year we get to hear songs about our Saviors birth. Each song says something a little different but each one is about Him.

I like the old songs that actually have meaning.  

Adore means:

• 1 : to worship or honor as a deity or as divine
• 2 : to regard with loving admiration and devotion
• 3 : to be very fond of

Matthew 2:11 King James Bible

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.  (Emphasis added)

During Campmeeting a few months ago Bro Brian Mcbride preached out of Psalm 134 about blessing The Lord even in the night season. In this Psalm the word bless means to bow the knee and adore. Are you adoring the Savior this Christmas season or have your lost the Christmas spirit? The devil has made Christmas into a "holiday" and continually works hard to overwhelm people with the things of Christmas and cause them to miss what it's all about. In the song below it says joyful and triumphant come to Bethlehem..remember who you were before you met him and remember through him we can be full of joy and victorious..and on top of that Jesus is more than worthy of our adoration! We are to honor him everyday. Don't lose your devotion to Christ because your too busy. Slow down, bow the knee and adore Him. Like the verse above says the wise men traveled a very long way and when they got to Jesus they fell down and adored him. 

Please read the words to the song. And check back tomorrow for more about Christmas :)

O  All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful,

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Sing, alleluia,

All ye choirs of angels;

O sing, all ye blissful ones of heav'n above.

Glory to God 

In the highest glory!

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,

Born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;

Word of the Father,

Now in the flesh appearing,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Attitude of gratitude and hand turkeys

Since yesterday was thanksgiving I wanted to write about what I am thankful for...words can't tell all I have and no longer have all because of Jesus. I had a nice thanksgiving with my family and hope all my readers did as well. My daddy had to work yesterday so we ate later than we normal would but all in all we had a great day. I wanted to write this yesterday but didn't get to. 

Each year we try to do something to tell what we are thankful for. We've done a thankful tree a few years, thankful journals, one year we just went around the table and told what we were thankful for but this year I wanted us to do something funny and show our creative side...so we each did a hand turkey! It was really fun and funny! My poor daddy thought turkeys had 4 legs ;))) we had a great laugh at that!  I got a few pictures. Enjoy.

 My daddy's *notice the legs lol!

 Mine...and yes I did draw a cupcake!

 My brother Josh's hand turkey...he drew 4 legs too lol

 My bro Caleb's..my moma added some details to it lol

 My brothers friend hunter joined us for thanksgiving dinner...this is his turkey. He looks like a vicious turkey lol

 My sister mandalyn's turkey

My moms turkey...she writes so neat!

We had fun drawing these and then reading them aloud. As you can tell we have so so much to thank The Lord for! He has been way to good to me. Just the fact that I had a family to eat thanksgiving dinner with yesterday makes me more blessed than most! I kept thinking of more to write on my turkey. Last year I heard a preacher say "thinking turns to thanking". If you think about it you always have something to thank The Lord for.  

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks:for this is the will of 

God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Chronicles 16:8

Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the people.

Thanksgiving day is over but God wants us to give thanks each and every day. Don't get to caught up with buying Christmas presents and forget what it's really about. Don't forget to thank Him for...the good, the bad, the yes's, the no's, in every thing give thanks...it's his will and he works all things for your good. 😊

How to: Delight yourself in The Lord

I wrote this a few weeks ago...

Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorite verses. It is only 16 small words but it says so much. Sunday morning the message was about why our prayers are not answered. My preacher mentioned this verse and he said we don't get our desires (or what we want) because we are not asking according to His will. I have tried a few times to study this verse out but I never searched hard enough until last night. I had my lovely Purple Bible that I normally use, and my Scofield Bible, a notebook and pen, and my IPad mini. My iPad has a strongs concordance Bible on it and I love it, I also have the dictionary on it. I got busy looking and God came and helped me :)

   

Here is what he showed me...

The bible tells us to 'delight thyself in the Lord' and 'he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.' That's pretty self explanatory but I had trouble figuring out how to delight in Him. Isaiah 58:13 tells us how.

There are a few different Hebrew words for delight but they come from the word anag (Is 58:14)which means: to be soft, or pliable, luxurious- delicate, have delight, sport self. 

   - that really didn't make sense to me but I kept on going.

***This is an If-Then statement*** therefore if one does verse13 then verse 14 will happen.

{Isaiah 58:13-14

Vs 13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,

from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;

and call the sabbath a delight,

the holy of the Lord, honourable;

and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways,

nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Vs14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord;

and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth,

and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:

for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.}

If you want to delight yourself in The Lord you need to: STOP

1. Doing- your own ways

         To get the desires of your heart you must first stop doing it your way. Many times I have that "my way or the highway" mentality. We want Gods blessings but we want it the way we think it should be. This word doing has many meanings. Here are a few: do or make. Bear, bestow, be busy. Commit, deal (with), follow, go about, govern, hinder, hold, journey, keep, sacrifice, serve, set, shew, sin, spend, surely, work, yield, use, observe. We try so hard to get our desires on our own. Yet we expect God to give us whatever we want and when he doesn't we get mad and do it in our own. When you "do" you are in control; when you stop "doing" then you allow God to "do" what he wants. 

{Proverbs 3:6

 In all thy ways acknowledge him, 

and he shall direct thy paths.}

{Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.}

         If you have never let go of your own dreams he wants you to. Go read my post on Plastic Pearls. His ways are soo much higher than ours. I can't comprehend what he has for me but I know it's much, much better than my way!

2. Finding- your own pleasure

         Our pleasure (or desire) should be His hand on our life! We must look to him for our desires. It's funny how what we want can change so fast. One day I'm so sure I want this or that and a week later I've already changed my mind. The truth is we don't know what we want. We constantly change but He never does. Find his will for your life, and that will will never change. Don't find your pleasure in the world. You will miss out on his blessings if you search on your own. Be careful what you seek for because what you seek you will find.  

         Your desires...do you only want it so you can please yourself?

3. Speaking- your own words

         I had a hard time with this one but I think he is saying be quiet. Stop running your mouth. Keep the sabbath. The sabbath symbolizes rest and worship. Worship him with your words and your silence. Be content with resting....or waiting. Sometimes God just wants us to stop and rest. When someone rests they are quiet and still. They are not afraid nor impatient. With my words I beg God to hurry up and give me the desire Of my heart...my Boaz. I want to meet him so bad! I want to get flowers for no reason, sweet texts in the mornings, laugh at his jokes (he better be funny!), not be single on valentines day anymore, be told 'I love you' and get a heart shaped engagement ring. I want to go wedding dress shopping. I want to have my small simple red, white, black and Tiffany blue wedding. I want to have my first kiss. I want to decorate our house for Christmas. I want to be a mom. 

{Psalms 37:7

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:

fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way...}

Sometimes what we want isn't necessarily bad but it's not the right time. So many times I think my life will be complete when I get my Boaz but I have to remind myself no one can complete me but Jesus. Other people down here can only complement a person. He won't give me what I want until I line up with what he wants. I must be "soft and pliable" in his hand. When He says "no" believe and know that he has a better "yes" for you down the road. He is the potter and I am just a little piece of clay. We think we can be, do, and say what we want because the world tells us we can. But get some perspective and realize you are nothing special, just a little piece of dirty clay. You will never be anything until God is your everything! Stop fighting, running and trying to do it on your own. You can't. But He can.

The last thing is to honor Him. We are not our own. We are bought with a price (a very high price). 

{1 Corinthians 6:20

For ye are bought with a price:therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.}

God made humans to use them to bring him honor and glory. Delighting in him is simply making him happy which in turn makes you happy. He really doesn't ask much of us. He wants us to read the Bible, talk to him, be faithful to church, and be a light to this dark world. Let Jesus make you happy. Stop and honor Christ. Like vs14 says He will lift you up and like ps37:4 says he'll give you the desires of your heart. Do your part,then he will do his.

"God doesn't exist for our pleasure and use. Just the opposite. We're made for God's pleasure, delight and use. He's the creator. We're the objects that were created...for his purposes."

"Dress for Jesus"- Modesty 101

"Dress for Jesus"
I recently heard a pastors wife say the quote above and i absolutely loved it!! One of my friends asked me about a month ago to teach her how to be modest. I laughed and said just look at how your mom dresses. She said she didn't want to dress like someone twice her age. So over the past few weeks I've tried my best to give her some advice. In my opinion being modest isn't easy and it takes practice. If our heart is right we will want to dress right, but still want to dress cute and our age. And there is nothing wrong with that! I am 21 and I should look like a modest 21 year old not a 31or 41 year old. I am no professional but I thought I would write about what modesty is to me. I have no idea why I haven't done this yet considering it is a big part of my life. Well here goes: )

                   

You make the decision about what you wear. I am not gonna sit here and write and say every girl and lady should only wear skirts and dresses. Thats not my business, nor is it your business (if you wear skirts everyday) to criticize those who don't. The sad thing is I have seen some ladies who are more modest in their pants than some of the things I've seen Christian ladies wear to church. Over the years clothes have gotten tighter and shorter. So many Christians make such a big deal about the outside and forget that it's the inside that matters most. I read 1 Samuel 16:7 today. Here is what it says, {But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but he Lord looketh on the heart.} which brings me to my next point...it says man looks on the outward appearance. The lost see what you wear but can not see your heart. How can people notice something's different about you if you look like the rest of the world? I have heard people say modesty is a heart issue and I believe that's true but let's not forget it is also a clothes issue.

It takes work. It takes trying new things and it takes learning. It also takes some sacrifice.
For those who attend Public school it is much harder to "dress for Jesus". I started out at a private Christian school where all the girls wore skirts. I had no problem with it. From 5th grade until graduation I went to public school and then went to a local college for 3 years. Modesty became more challenging. It is hard to stand out and be different when all you see is everyone else fitting in. Some people will think you are weird but dont give up, be patient and show them Jesus through not only what you wear but how you act. People notice. I promise you they notice. Eventually people will respect you for being modest. They won't necessarily understand but will respect your courage to be different.

Worldly guys will not give you the time of day! This bothered me in school, I told myself I was just as pretty as all the other girls but I wasn't notice and that hurt me. Looking back I understand why. Guys, especially high school boys do not care about what your face looks like but they do care about what the rest of you looks like. Reba Bowman says if you're not for sale, take the sign off. Don't cheapen yourself because you want attention. Dressing immodestly will get you attention but not the kind you really want.

Remember: The reason we wear clothes is to cover our bodies up. God isn't pleased when we wear booty shorts or bikinis. Instead of using clothes to show your body off, use your clothes to make you look like a lady.

Make your own style. Just because no one else wears it doesn't mean you can't. I have never understood that rule "no white pants after Labor Day"...if you wanna wear white, wear it.just do it modestly.

Look in the mirror! If something doesn't look right change it. Go get you a long $5 mirror from Walmart and look at what you look like before you run out the door. Ask yourself if Jesus would approve.

White 9 times out of 10 requires a slip and or tank top. This is why I rarely wear white...it is soo see-through and hard to keep clean! Which is something I very much dislike.

Just because it looks modest on the hanger doesn't mean it is modest for you. The same goes for how it looks on a friend. We all have different shapes and we are all different sizes.

Being modest sometimes means being alone. Like I wrote above... Others won't understand and they won't try to. Jesus notices and it makes him happy! Dress for Jesus and I promise you will get the right kind of attention from the right kind of guys.

Basic and random, i know...I will do a follow up post in the next few days. -stay tuned y'all 💕