Road-trip!!!!

A couple days ago my sister, brother, and I went down to Redding, CA (we were bringing our Grandpa home, he came up for Christmas). It was fun, just us three on a random road trip! Haha. Well we took a few pics on the way back so I just thought I'd share them! :)

Driving Home.....

Mt. Shasta is just BEAUTIFUL!

 We don't have any of these in OR so this was my first time eating there, it was delicious!!! :)

Karissa(me), Kolten, and Kaila 

I just love Oregon!!!!

"Unto Us a Child is Born"

Christmas is Coming....

Yes, Christmas is coming!! Wow, it seems like we just had Christmas yesterday!!! This year just flew right on by, it's crazy!!  ::Sigh:: I love Christmas!!!! It's such a beautiful, fun, and glorious time: the music, laughter, caroling, the tree, giving gifts, decorating, family times and most of all the celebration of the birth of Christ!!!
That is truly what it's all about! Celebrating Christ's incarnation is the reason we Celebrate!!

Philippians 2:7-8 says how Christ “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Christ, who lived in a perfect Unity with God the Father, came down to earth as Servant! The King of Kings was not born in the royalty He rightfully deserved, but as a baby in the small town of Bethlehem. Not in a palace, but a dirty old stable with filthy animals and He, The Savior of the World, was laid in a manger!!

Christ's humility goes beyond just His birth, but His life was spent as a Humble Servant. He spent His days serving the people of Israel, healing, teaching, and feeding them. He stooped down to a servants position and washed the disciple dirty feet, as an example to them. The King was a Servant to His People! 

His life and most of all His death shows His deep love and care for His people. I am so thankful for my Savior and His life and death. I hope to be like Him and to continually strive to live a life of serving others! Thank You Jesus for coming to save us! 


Oh, and I found this quote by Augustine and it just fit in, it's pretty good :)
"Man’s Maker was made man, that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breasts; that the Bread might be hungry, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired from the journey; that the Truth might be accused by false witnesses, the Judge of the living and the dead be judged by a mortal judge, Justice be sentenced by the unjust, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Vine be crowned with thorns, the Foundation be suspended on wood; that Strength might be made weak, that He who makes well might be wounded, that Life might die. He was made man to suffer these and similar undeserved things for us, that He might free us who were undeserving; and He who on account of us endured such great evils, merited no evil, while we through Him were so bountifully blessed, had no merits to show for such blessings."

25 Ways To Wear a Scarf

 Ok, I saw this and just had to share it! It's so cool, and I absolutely LOVE scarves!!!

Slavery and Freedom

Lately I've been reading a "A Better Freedom" by Michael Card. Its been eye-opening, mainly since I never really though much about slavery and what it really means to be a 'slave of Christ'.

Jesus said "Take up your cross and follow me" (Matt 10:38) The cross was a horrible way to die and one that was used mainly for slaves. Death on a cross was the ultimate form of humiliation and pain. So why would Jesus say this? What did Jesus mean?
Are we to die on a cross in order to be worthy of Him? Or are we doing enough living a "Christian Life" and wearing a cross around our neck?

Jesus is telling us to "take up His yoke". We are to follow in His example, do as He did. Become a servant to others, lay down our lives for others. We often have all these plans and expectations, but are these what Christ would want?
We Americans, especially, always have such a high value on 'freedom and rights'. But the freedom the world offers isn't true freedom at all.
The only way we can find true freedom is if we become slaves to Christ!

Michael Card says "The cross, the most excruciating and pervasive symbol of death in the first century, has come to represent for the followers of Jesus the only way to peace and life. In the same sense slavery, which represents the total denial of freedom, becomes for the follower of Christ, the Servant Savior, the only means to the realization of the true freedom!!"

Becoming a slave meant giving up everything, your choices, expectations, rights....everything, to serve your master. This is what we are called to do. Christ is our Master, and if we lay down our life for His work, he will give us true Freedom!

"For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ." -1 Corinthians 7:22

{FALL}

::Sigh::...I love Fall. The colors are absolutely beautiful! I love watching the leaves fall from the trees and pile up on the ground. But one of the best things about fall is the family. One tradition our family always does is we all get together for thanksgiving (all 31 cousins) and have a huge feast!! We all have a blast! I can't wait till this years celebration!

My Prom Dress

 

This last year I made this prom/ballroom dress. It was tons of fun, lots of work, and a very good learning experience! It didn't exactly turn out how I had pictured it in my mind, but that's what comes of experimenting, and making up my own pattern!
So, yup. Here it is, what do you think? It really look a lot better in real life, the pictures don't quite capture what it actually looks and feels like, but you get the general idea :)

Oh, and here's my very first design, when I was coming up with the pattern ;)

Giving Christ Your Everything

Lately I've been thinking about what to do with my life, why am I here? Out of the millions of people on this earth, I was placed here for a reason.

After graduating high school I often get asked "So, what are you going to do now?" It was often frustrating, because I really didn't know what to do. Of course I had many dreams and plans, but that doesn't always work out. Sometimes life doesn't go the way we want. Not that there's anything wrong with my life, it's just sometimes hard to figure out, right?

But the thing is, we cant figure things out all the time. We just have to leave it up to God! Knowing that He is in complete control is such a comfort to me. 

Today I read in Galatians "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

I want my life to be given completely over to Christ, so that He lives in me! I have been trying to decide what to do...but just lately God seems to be telling me "Let go, and give your life to Me". And this is my hope "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!!"

Family

 I have this pretty AMAZING family, yes each and every one of them is so special to me! We all have some pretty good times together: sitting around the campfire roasting S'moores, talking around the dinner table, gathered in the living room just laughing at Dads jokes, movie nights...yes, yes, I love them <3 <3                          Thank you God for the precious gift of FAMILY!!!! :)

Reading Calvin...

Sitting here sipping a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, reading Calvin's Institutes. Yes, sometimes just taking some time alone and studying can be refreshing (especially after a long week).

Last night I was thinking....How we constantly get caught up in our life, that we don't take the time to actually focus on God. Until maybe we really want or need something, then we actually talk to Him, but often just to get something. We're always asking for things...and yet He gives us soooo much!!! He gives us life, He gave His Only Son, He gave us everlasting life, He gives us the sun and moon, food and air, and yes He gave us elbows! ( what would we do without them, really...try to not use them)
And so yes..I just want to say THANK YOU God for all you are constantly giving to us! :)

First Post!

Hello anyone who might be reading this!
So, I'm not much of a writer (writing was actually my very least favorite subjects in school) but I am attempting to start working on conquering my fears, haha ;)
I have had other blogs...but was never consistent..and I don't really like them (they're pretty old) So yeah, this is my new one.
I probably will be posting lots of pictures..because I absolutely LOVE editing pictures, and my sister is a photographer, so yeah I get to edit lots of cool pics!
Right now I am taking college classes (http://www.caedmoncollege.org) and one of the subjects is rhetoric, so now I will have a place to post all my writings.
Well we'll see how this goes...life can get pretty busy at times, especially right now...it seems like I'm always doing something, and right now I should be doing homework, but I'm procrastinating and creating a new blog.!
Ok, this is getting really boring, so I'll go....until next time, to God be the Glory!! :)