Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior! Instead of doing Quote Thursday this week, I decided to post the lyrics to a Christmas song today. The song is It's About the Cross by Go Fish and sets an excellent perspective on the reason of Christ's birth! Enjoy the song and Merry Christmas!

Here is the link if you want to listen to the song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyR0lwO-nXc

It's About the Cross

Verse 1:

It's not just about the manger
Where the baby lay
It's not all about the angels
Who sang for Him that day

It's not just about the shepherds
Or the bright and shining star
It's not all about the wisemen
Who travelled from afar

Chorus:
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again

It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday

It's about the cross
It's about the cross

Verse 2:

It's not just about the presents
Underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling
That the season brings to me

It's not just about coming home
To be with those you love
It's not all about the beauty
In the snow I'm dreaming of

Bridge:

The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate

It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again

It's about God's love
Nailed to a tree
It's about every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should have been me

It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
So that you and I could have real life someday

It's about the cross
It's about the cross

A Year of Blessing

One year ago today, I met my little sister for the first time.

After much anticipation, tears, and prayers, I finally held Charity in my arms. For those of you who have adopted, you will understand the incredible reality that this child who you only saw pictures of for a year and a half (or however long it was for you) is actually real and is now a part of your family...forever!

I can still remember the uncertainty and newness of the adoption, knowing that this stranger was my sister and wondering if she would ever accept me as hers.

Now that Charity has been a part of our family for a year, it seems like she's always been with us.

This has been a year of growth, not only for Charity, but for the whole family. She has learned to walk, use sign language to communicate basic needs and wants, understand the English language, say words like "up," "all done," "good job," "purple," "yes," many more, and has gone from eating formula to pretty much anything. Lately, she has been mimicking almost everything we do! It is so cute!

It has definitely not been a perfect year though....adopting has its challenges as well as its joys. :) When we first adopted her, Charity went through a time of disobeying almost everything we asked her to do. Especially since she has Down Syndrome, she has a very strong will! Over time, she has learned to obey daddy and mommy. On the other hand, we have been able to experience the joy of teaching and training Charity and seeing her grow. It has been wonderful for Ariana and I because we have the practice of taking care of a toddler before we get married and have children of our own.

Yes, there are napless afternoons, certain health challenges because of her Down Syndrome, and days where the schedule is not always perfect, but we can find great blessing in all of it.

Charity is so special to us and brings our family so much joy! Her darling belly laugh, melting smile, and joyful attitude are priceless!


Thank you Lord for the blessing that Charity has been to us over this past year! Lord Jesus, watch over and protect this priceless jewel. As she grows up, may you work in her, convict her of sin, and save her soul. May she live her life for you and may she be a bright light in this dark world. Thank you for both the challenges and joys that she brings. Bless her Lord and thank you that you brought her into our family a year ago today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Quote Thursday - Stuart Briscoe

As Christmas approaches, it is easy to become caught up in gift-giving and plans with family. We must continually remember the reason we, as Christians, celebrate Christmas. Furthermore, this remembrance of Christ's birth should not be done once a year, but every single day of the year!


"The spirit of Christmas needs to superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christmas is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world."
Stuart Briscoe

Quote Thursday - John Piper 2

So, I missed last Thursday's Quote Thursday again! Please forgive me!!!!

Yes, I found another wonderful John Piper quote! Be challenged!

"Fight for us, O God, that we not drift numb and blind and foolish into vain and empty excitements. Life is too short, too precious, too painful to waste on worldly bubbles that burst. Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity."
— John Piper

This quote is so true, yet so hard to live by. As Christians, we need to guard ourselves from becoming polluted by the world, especially during this busy Christmas season! We must continually ask the Lord to fix our eyes on eternity, for when we have our eyes focused on ourselves and this world, it is all to easy to be sucked "into vain and empty excitements".

John Piper's quote reminds me of Romans 12:1-2.

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Quote Thursday - Elizabeth Elliot

“There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for. ”
~Elizabeth Elliot

This quote is pretty simple, yet at the same time, very deep. Would we die for the things we are living for or are they really truly not that important? Are we living for eternal things or ourselves?

As it says in 1 Corinthians 3:11-13, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work."

What will your work be shown as?

Let us beseech the Lord to give us the single-mindedness to live solely for His kingdom; we can only do this in His strength!