Christmas Pics

Top left: Us sisters posing after the Christmas Eve program
Top centre: At the Loewen gathering on Boxing Day at the Travellodge
Top Right: A delicious Turkey Dinner on Christmas Day with the family
Left: A chocolate and cheese fondue on Christmas Eve...Yum!!
Bottom: A nice Christmas meal and gift exchange with friends at
Moxies

It's Christmas!!

Christmas is almost here! I just love the Christmas season and it always seems to go by so quickly, this year not being any different. Unfortunatly I have to work right until Christmas eve which is kind of hard for me to adjust from the 2 week break I'm used to getting while at school. I've come to appreciate more time with family at Christmas and the traditions we keep are held more dear in my heart. Some of my favorite Christmas traditions are staying up late with my sisters Christmas Eve watching Christmas specials and waking up super early to open our stockings in the morning. I remember me and my sisters always trying to make a lot of noise in order to wake the rest of the family. We then take turns opening presents and then enjoy a yummy breakfast where we are allowed to eat as much junk food as we want! That was always a plus for us...chocolate for breakfast!! As much as I love family and traditions, I have come to realize the importance of recognizing why we celebrate. I went to see "The Nativity" this season and it really gave me a new perspective on the birth of Christ. It told the story through the eyes of Mary and Joseph. I had never really understood how difficult it would have been for both of them. First there was the issue of Mary acually believing what the angel told her and to be able to trust God through all that would have been so difficult. She would have been an outcast, she possibly could've even been stoned. Yet she was faithful despite what the world thought of her and the circumstances around that. To have faith and to be able to trust as Mary did is something that has tugged my heart this Christmas. I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season, Merry Christmas and God bless!

Snow Day!

On Saturday a bunch of us went sledding at the hill on Spadina. It was such a perfect day for being outside in the snow, it was warm and there was no wind! We had tons of fun trying to squish as many people as possible on one sled. We all took a number of tumbles and I have to say that I was definatly sore the next couple of days. Jo managed to fall on top of me one time and another I was the back person going backwards down the hill. It felt like I got half the hill up my jacket...Good times! Afterwards we headed to Poverino's for dinner. The day was kind of a farwell thing for one of the guys I went to Bethany with. It was a great way to spend a Saturday and I'm glad we could all get together to do that.

Every day I am amazed by how much God loves me and how that love is evident all around me when I take the time to notice it. Although this week seems extremely long, I must say that it has been a good one. I have been doing a lot of thinking, which has kept me awake until the wee hours of the night and all sorts of emotions seem to be flowing out whether I like it or not. I've done a lot of thinking about the future and what that holds for me and where my desires fit into that. God has also shown me things in my life that I have been holding onto, things that are not healthy for my relationship with Him and with others. So, I've been trying to put that in God's hands this week rather than trying to carry the load on my own. It's hard because my pride gets in the way but once I see how much it is actually hurting me and I start letting go, it is the most freeing thing in the world. God is always telling me that He knows what I need more than I do, but that always seems to be a struggle for me. I am so thankful that He never gives up on me and never fails to show that He loves me. These last couple of days it feels like every time I sit down to spend time with my Lord, I am brought to tears by how Perfectly Amazing He is. How the Creator of the Universe loves me, how He delights in me, and sings songs over me. I sit there and feel like praising him not only for what He has done but simply for who He is. The song "Amazed" by Jared Anderson has meant a lot to me this week, here are the lyrics;

"You dance over me while I am unaware,

You sing all around but I never here a sound.

Lord I'm amazed by You!

Lord I'm amazed by You!

Lord I'm amazed by You,

how you love me"