More than just a season..

Wow.  Blogging again?  I must have gotten bitten by the blogging bug!
No, really, I have some stuff I just gotta say so hear me out, okay? [even though I opened with an uber lame joke ;)]

So I am reading the account of Jesus' birth last night and just a bunch of stuff hit me.  It's one of those stories that some of us approach with, I've heard it all before..but really its a miraculous story that cannot be taken lightly.  And today there are all these movies about finding the "true meaning" of Christmas.  You know the basic Hallmark formula..female business executive (mid-twenties to thirties) is a work-alcoholic and maybe has a bad relationship past but somehow this incredibly handsome stranger tumbles into her life and teaches her what really matters, like family, joy, and love.  Great movies and I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved them.  And Christian values are often presented but the magnitude of Jesus' birth goes so much beyond a cute Christmas movie with a great story.  It's even more than a story it's real..it's history.  

You see all these church signs that say "Jesus is the reason for the season" or "Christmas is Christ" [side bar..I just googled Christmas church sign sayings and actually got some results..wow.  I don't know what we would do without these endless man-made resources that surely inspire and save non-believers..*big eye roll*].  Thanks for the thought but are we really reducing Jesus Christ, God who became man for these feel good anecdotes? 

Jesus is so much more than what the American Christmas, as a whole portrays.  Okay, enough of my hot air..

Something that struck me especially this Christmas was that Zechariah's encounter with the angel of the Lord is the first sign of something after 400 years of SILENCE.  Maybe the New Testament is just a page turn away from the Old in our Bibles, but imagine the Israelites' perspective.  The joy of being chosen as God's people, the struggles they endured and often brought on themselves by their unbelief.  The years they wandered in the wilderness.  The judges they ran in cycles with..the spark of hope in David's reign..the flaws in his kingship that showed that he was still only human and so would the rulers after him be.  The prophets that rebuked and spoke of a new era where the Messiah would reign as King.  The remnant's return to their land and the years and years of waiting for this promised hope.

It wasn't what they had expected.  Just another day serving as a priest to Zechariah, but God had planned from the beginning of time for the angel of the Lord to prophesy to him, the birth of his son, the forerunner of Christ.  

This is a miraculous birth..Zechariah's wife Elizabeth is barren, and they are old (rather reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah). John the Baptist is special and will lead a unique life, but he is only preparing the way for Someone greater..Someone who cannot just be a man filled by God's spirit like Elijah or other prophets. But he must be God himself..a God who becomes flesh and dwells among man and is man too.

I love the exchange between Mary and the angel Gabriel.  His response whenever she asks, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" is so powerful.  "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-- the Son of God.  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God." [Luke 1:34-37].  

For nothing will be impossible with God..again and again we place God in a box.  We try to hold him to  our own human standards.  How incredibly arrogant is that?  

My pastor illustrated the importance of the virgin birth this past Sunday.  It is essential that Jesus be fully God and and fully man.  Just because we cannot wrap our heads around something does not mean that it isn't the truth.

Jesus is born in Bethlehem..where David was anointed king so many years before.  Jesus was from the line of David.  An heir that would be the King of all.  It's so incredible.  The birth of Jesus is perhaps the climax of history; it's the divide between B.C. and A.D.  However, the birth would be nothing without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  He came to his own, and his people did not receive him.  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to be children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." [John 1:9-13]

So wow.  I am amazed at the sovereignty and great love of God.  He sent His Son to dwell among us.  It wasn't a 33 year vacation as a mortal either, Jesus became man so that he could intercede to the Father on our behalf.  He still is fully God and fully man.  

And sure, it's not Christmas day anymore, but I think we have cause to celebrate everyday in our hearts, the amazing grace and mercy given to us..the awe-filling and undeserved love we receive.

And please don't say that Jesus is the reason for the season..He's the reason for our REDEMPTION.

Sisters

I have never written posts back-to-back like this, but it being Christmas and all.  I figured I would give you guys an extra treat! [Wow. Am I really that vain?] Well this blog is special..it is dedicated to my sister and very best friend Hannah Elaine Reynolds.  She's the one who first inspired me to write anything.
So Hannah is the best sister in the world.  [Don't put it on a mug because that makes it cheesy, but it's true!]  I could not ask for anyone better to be my sister.  Hannah gets me [that could be taken many ways: one she is so lucky to have me, two she is stuck with me, three she understands me..it's the last but really all of the above are appropriate]..and she could be my professional translator [or anyone's for that matter, she has a gift for understanding broken Spanglish, broken Asian English, English broken by crying or chomping on ice].
So we've had some incredible memories over the years.  I cannot even imagine life without her.  [Well for one thing, we are rarely apart ;)].
Hannah is a beautiful, Godly woman.  I admire her for so many reasons.  And those who know her, know how incredibly kind, loyal, and thoughtful she is.  Sometimes I don't show how much I care about her or love her or admire her, but I really do.  I figured this post would show her how much she really means to me.
This is who Hannah is:
Artist--All over our house, we have Hannah's artwork.  It adds a special touch to our home.  And every year, Hannah draws or paints something for me for Christmas or my birthday [January 12th..best day of the year ;)] or both.  The artwork is always so incredibly beautiful.  I am a HUGE Beauty and the Beast fan [check out blog #1 and my profile pic..this is borderline obsession].  She painted a keepsake box with a gorgeous rose on the front.  I also have two framed color penciled drama masks with the "All the world's a stage.." on one and "and all the men and women merely players" on the other.  God bless her for exposing me to some Shakespeare [She is an English Ed major after all].

Author--Wow.  All she could say was wow.  Lemme tell you, this girl has been writing stories since she learned how to hold a pencil.  First "chapter book" she wrote was about her, our best friend Whitney, and me.  It is called A Princess, a Peasant, and an Archer..our roles respectively [I know you expected me to be the princess, but in those days I made a much better archer].  It is really a wonderful story.  And she has wrote so many more and they have become complex novels with twists and turns.  Her imagination absolutely does not stop when she starts to write.  She feels her emotions so deeply which adds so much to her writing but can sometimes be painful in hurtful experiences.  But she pushes through and is a sub-creator [really great essay about being sub-creators written by J.R.R. Tolkien...Hannah wrote a paper about it once..because we are made in the image of God we are able to sub-create in order to glorify God]  I could go on and on about her writing, but why don't you just check out her blog instead..A Writer's Heart.  Phenomenal.

Thoughtful--Seriously, I have never met someone so thoughtful!  She remembers everything..I call her the keeper of the memories.  She knows what people need and is able to show her care for them through random acts of kindness.  I have been so blessed by all the sweet things she does for me!
Prayer Warrior--Hannah has a heart for others and knows the power of prayer.
Loyal--A friend of hers is a friend of life, no matter what happens.
Hilarious--Not everyone sees this side, but those who do, know what I mean.  She has the wittiest, snarkiest humor ever.  She can make me laugh harder than anyone else.
And I say all this to say that I love her with all my heart and that she is so special to me.  People don't always understand the bond that siblings can share.  I am so thankful that I have Hannah in my life.  And I know everyone has special family members or friends that they feel the same about.  I hope you take the time to thank them for being there for you and for caring.  In the world we live in, a loving family is not something to be taken for granted.
And Hannah and I are more than biological sisters, we are sisters in Christ.  For we "have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry 'Abba! Father!'"
Thank you Lord for blessing me with a best friend like her.
"And these are the faces we most often have. Smiling and happy we'll always be. Sisters and best friends, you are a part of me."

Why do you fear?

So it's time for another blog..apparently I'm only having monthly installments now.  So let's recap my life since I last blogged [don't groan, who else do you expect me to talk about ;)].
Grayson [younger cousin by four years, just like me though, readers, let me tell you, you would just love her] journeyed to little Tigerville, SC and stayed in our dorm with us.  Should have seen how we got around with a giant mattress in the middle of the floor.  Haywood Mall got a dose of our craziness, and I almost convinced them to sit on Santa's lap.  Oh and don't paint your nails outside in the cold..it only leads to a mess when you attempt to put a hoodie on with wet nails.  Ooo and I went contra dancing.  Absolutely ah-mazing! I thought I was going to be terrible because I have a rep of being a bad dancer but I ended up doing alright! Definitely wanna try it again next semester.  Thanksgiving was delicious as always..spinach puffs, jenga, and of course coconut cake!  Exams went by pretty smoothly.  Hanging out with dear friends in Downtown and Monterray's and playing Dirty Santa.  And now I have until January 14th to be home :)

Alright, let's get down to business [to defeat the Huns..God bless you if you get the Mulan Disney reference]. I hope you are still reading, forgive me for my mini life story monologue.
You know, I am not perfect [surprise, surprise, right?].  But sometimes I think that I have to be, don't we all?  And we also dream up life's perfect scenarios.  What if this, what if that, then this would happen and be so awesome.  But then we realize it's all a big mess.

See at college, life was going pretty well, and classes were kinda crazy so Bible reading slowly slipped through the cracks.  When I got home I spent my time "resting" and "taking a break" from school.  I saw friends here but it wasn't every day like I was used to at college.  And one night I just lost it; I broke down and cried.  I felt an unbearable emptiness.  Gone were the distractions that kept me from realizing my need for God's presence in my life [not that He ever left, but my ears and heart were tuned out].  I felt guilty for possessing a hope that I wasn't sharing.  Frustrated too that what I had done hadn't brought about things that I wished would happen. Tore myself down with that guilt, instead of moving on and doing something about it.  Beating myself up for not serving in some way.  Wondering where God was, I pushed those thoughts from my mind.  Finally I opened my Bible, just trying to find some meaning in my life again, wondering if anything would stand out to me. I had been going through Matthew before I put everything on hold.  Chapter 8..reading, reading..a centurion 's servant paralyzed in need of healing..reading, reading..Peter's mother-in-law..reading reading..cost of following Jesus.."Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Wait.  I backed up a few verses.  Verse 23 "And when he got into the boat the disciples followed him. 24 And behold there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep.  25 And they went and woke him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing.' 26 And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?'  Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea,and there was a great calm.  27  And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"
So I have heard this story hashed and rehashed.  All those private school chapels and Sunday school lessons.  The focus was always either on the fact that Jesus did a miracle or the overly used life application that Jesus calms the storm of our lives. Both are truths to remember but there's something else there to grasp.  I think it has to do with "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?"  The disciples were scared because all they could see was the storm.  They thought they were going to die.  But Jesus in His omniscience and sovereignty knew that the storm would pass.  He would bring about a calm regardless of their cries.  Jesus wanted the disciples to know He was/is there despite the storm.  He doesn't just disappear 'til we cry out.  We just need to have the faith to see him even in the midst of the storm, and know that when the time comes He will calm it.  Sometimes we are the ones creating the storms.  There is still knowledge to be learned and hearts in need of changing during a storm.  It can be a time of growth and preparation so that when life calms down, one can do even more in service to the King.  And as we grow closer to God, the storm becomes less and less violent.  The seas calm and winds die down.  Why then do we fear?  Everything has a purpose, a purpose to live for Christ.  This living is a lifestyle that is lived every day.  We show Who we belong to by the way we act and serve.  So I will serve my King; I will prepare my heart for when the storm ends, and I will share His truth to all.