A Pinteresting Tumbl of a Day ~ Christmas Edition!

This episode was so sad, but this little bit here made up for it.
(And don't worry, this is queued -- I'm probably not awake yet anyway.)
Merry Christmas!

Reblog it here (x).

Just a bit on Christmas

I've written before about Christmas.
About songs that annoy me and some present mishaps.
But past all the tinsel that's actually pretty easy to clean up, there's something else.
Why do we buy gifts for people?
To prove we love them?
Because it's socially demanded?
In hopes that they bought you something at least as cool / useful / expensive as you bought them?
Or because we really want to give them a gift as God gave us a gift on Christmas?

There are people who are having skinny Christmases this year.
There are people giving gifts of meals, partial tuition, car repairs, and new clothes for work or school this year.
There are people who literally have nothing to give to the ones who mean the most to them.
But we can all give something.
This thing isn't material.
It costs you nothing, so it fits any budget.
And it won't be forgotten by New Year's Day.

Give the gift God gave us.

Give the gift of sacrificial love.
(And I'm not just preaching at you, I'm talking about me, too.)

Love the people who love you.
Love the people who annoy you to death.
Love the people who make your life more difficult.
Love the people who are a bit prickly.
Love the people close to you, because you see them every day.
Love the people you'll probably only see once, because it means more than you might know.
Love the people who think they are unlovable.

We certainly were.

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8b

"But I just wanna help. . ."

I'm pretty sure we've all said that at some point in our lives.

To most of us, the desire to help seems natural, almost impulsive.

We have to do it.

We want to do it.

And sometimes most of the time, we can't.

Not in the way we wanted to, not as much as we wanted to, or sometimes just not at all.

I saw this the other day on Pinterest:

It reminded me of a time where I was trying to help two individuals, but it just seemed like every time I tried, I hit a brick wall. I felt like I was giving, and giving, and giving, and giving, and it was just going nowhere.

One simply wasn't listening to advice - and instead making me their personal shrink complaining about problems they could have prevented, not if they'd listened to me, but if they'd used a bit of wisdom and common sense - and the other was simply convinced they couldn't forgive themselves for mistakes made in the past and that they couldn't change.

Needless to say, the fact that I wanted to help them so badly and I couldn't didn't exactly make me feel like a very good friend.

I felt like crap.

And that didn't help anyone.

That period ended, and those two friends and I just sort of . . . stopped.

Stopped everything.

Whether or not their situations got better or not, I don't know, and I'll probably never know.

I hope so.

All I wanted to do was help.

Fast forward about ten months.

I see that pin.

And I start thinking.

I realize that whoever made this pin is right.

You can't help everyone.

That's not to say your desire to or advice you may give isn't worth anything, but it just may not be what they need right then.

You may not have the experience, the knowledge, the skill, or the wisdom at that time to really help that person where they are.

But there's Someone who can.

And last time I checked, He takes referrals.

But there are people you can help.

People that need your experience and wisdom from where you are to help them where they are.

You may find those people to be few and far between, but they're there.

While you may not be able to help everyone, you can help someone.

And it's the someones of this life that count the most in the next.

Staying in Love ~ Part 2

For Part 1, click here.

We've already discussed just Whom we're to be falling in love with.

And as everyone knows, the "honeymoon" phase is wonderful.

But it doesn't last forever.

That's because the "honeymoon" phase is fueled primarily by feelings.

But love isn't just a feeling.

(I'm not going to tell you love isn't a feeling, because I'm 99% sure there are chemical reactions for 'love', making it basically a feeling. I'm fairly certain hormones play a pretty big part, too.)

True love is a commitment.

God's committed to us.

How committed to Him are we?

Would you go a day without talking to someone you love? Or even someone you like, for that matter?

If they wrote you letters, wouldn't you read them? Several times? Become so familiar with them that you knew the words by heart?

Well . . . we have that.

It's hard for us - being humans - to grasp having a relationship with someone we can't physically see or hear.

I'll admit that wholeheartedly.

But it can be done.

I'm sure you know people who have a great relationship with God and, like me, you're kinda jealous of them.

We can have that, too.

We just need to talk to Him.

We just need to read His love letters, as well as His letters of instruction.

We need to realize that a relationship takes two.

God's ready and willing.

How willing are you to stay in love?

Falling in Love ~ Part 1

People say falling in love is easy.

Sometimes it is.

Sometimes it is not.

People say they love God and God loves them - which is true - but I don't think people really understand what that means.

When you realize how much He loves you, it is so much easier to fall deeper in love with the Lover of your Soul.

He is a Father: He carries us when we're weak, He defends the orphans (Hosea, Proverbs).

He is a Friend: He shoulders our burdens, He listens to our cares (Matthew, 1 Peter).

He is a Lover: He woos us to Himself, He keeps us secure (Hosea, John).

He is a Judge: He is holy, He rules justly (Psalms).

He is a Redeemer: He justly forgives those He saves, He desires to save all (1 John, 2 Peter).

Do you see?

There is no one like this.

Even though we may know some people who have some of these general qualities in degrees, only God is all of them.

And He loves you.

And who could pass that up?

One Who loves you and sees past your mistakes, past your failures, and past your flaws.

One Who loves you and wants to heal your scars, provide for you, and shape you into a purer you.

I can't.

I've fallen in love.

Have you?

Blessing the Lord

There's this song, you may have heard it, it's called "10,000 Reasons".

I can't remember the first time I heard it, but I remember thinking, "Oh, I should go download this when I get home" because it was a good song and I liked it. 

Well, I forgot to download it.

Naturally.

Well, the next time (of note) that I heard it was at a funeral for a baby.

I was so emotional that I couldn't even sing it.

But I was thinking.

We can't just bless the Lord when we have everything. When everything's nice and sunny. When we have everything we need.

We need to bless Him when He takes gifts away. When He teaches us lessons. When He allows pain in our lives.

Because whoever said "God will never give you more than you can handle" was wrong.

God will never allow you to be tempted beyond what He gives you an escape.

And God gives us more than we can handle to teach us to depend on Him for everything.

And that tender, nurturing love is truly blessable.

It is Friday!

So, I wanted to write a snarky, witty post about it being Friday, but I've come up with nothing. 

I also wanted to write a beautiful, moving post about it being Good Friday, but I've got nothing there, too.

I guess the best way to tell it would just to tell it as it is.

God created Man knowing full well we'd fall and spit in His face.

Yet He still loved us.

He spent millenia pointing forwards to One who would offer to free us from death and love us as no one else could.

And we didn't listen.

Yet He still loved us.

He sent His Son, who willingly lived on earth with few of our comforts.

We didn't accept Him.

Yet He still loved us.

We stripped Him naked, nailed Him to a cross, and caused His heart to break.

(It really did burst.)

We had no compassion for the Man who spoke of love, who fed the hungry, who healed the sick.

We laughed at Him and mocked Him and cursed Him.

Yet He still loved us.

Yet He asked that His Father would forgive us.

He died for us.

But that really does us no good if death can defeat Him.

But it didn't. 

He rose from the dead on the third day, defeating death for everyone.

And He loves you.

Some people say they're not worthy of His love.

No, you're not.

But His love is no credit to you; it's a testimony to Him.

Others think they don't need His love and grace.

You do.

It doesn't matter who you are, where you've come from, what you've done.

Even if the worst thing you've ever done is tell a little white lie, you still need His forgiveness.

If you're a murderer, you still need His forgiveness.

And this week there's been all the discussion about homosexuality.

Yes, it's wrong.

God calls it an abomination because it twists and distorts the physical love he created for a man and his wife - a picture of His love and sacrifice and relationship with the church.

But God doesn't hate you.

He doesn't at all.

He loves you.

He wants you to know Him.

He wants to forgive you.

He wants to love you.

Let Him.

Convictions

I've been convicted about something lately.

Okay, well, many somethings, but I'm only going to talk about the one.

We've been going through Romans lately at church, and yesterday in Sunday School, someone taught on accountability. This wasn't the aim of his lesson, but I think it's a good application.

He asked somebody to read part of Romans 12, and as they were, I saw this section:

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Nope. Not convicting at all. . . 

But here's the big part: "Give preference to one another in honor" (emphasis mine).

Not just "give preference".

"Give preference in honor".

You know what that really means?

It means don't roll your eyes when you let them pick the TV show that night.

Don't mutter under your breath when you clean up behind them.

It generally means don't be spiteful when you let somebody have their way.

Now, I do have to point out that "turning the other cheek" does not mean you have to be a door mat.

Because it doesn't.

But the point still stands.

. . . And the point still pricks. . .

Blah Blah, Valentine's Day, Mush Mush

If you were expecting a beautiful, mushy Valentine's Day post, you're not going to get it.

Sorry.

This is for those of you - like me - who are 'alone' for Valentine's Day.

I say 'alone' because you're not really alone, and here's why. 

Do you know the story behind Valentine's day?

The real story?

Well, I do.

And while I don't remember the specifics, I can tell you the gist of it.

There was a man named Valentine (Italian, probably) who was going to be hanged at dawn, at the first ringing of the bell.

Don't ask me what for, but I think it was murder.

Dawn came, and he was led to the scaffold.

Per the order, the executioners waited for the ringing of the bell.

They never heard it. 

One of the officials went to the bell tower and demanded to know why the bell hadn't been rung yet.

The bell ringer explained that he had been ringing the bell, but it hadn't been working. 

They went to examine it, and when they looked up at it, they saw Valentine's young wife clinging to the clapper: her body had silenced the ringing.

By the time they got her out, she was half dead. They asked her why she had done that, and she replied simply that she loved her husband. She died not too long afterwards.

Deciding the debt owed the state had been paid by one life, the official released Valentine, who - I assume - went on to become a saint somehow. 

Does that story ring a bell?

It's a terrible pun, but the question stands.

Valentine's Day isn't about roses and cutesy poetry and chocolate and sheepish grins and Cupid and pink hearts and dates.

It's about sacrificial love.

It's about laying one's life down for another.

And hopefully, that sounds familiar to all of us.

And that's why you're never alone.

I understand that it can hurt to be without a significant other during Valentine's Day: I didn't think I would be 'alone' this year, but I am.

And that's okay.

I'm not really alone.

And neither are you.

We are loved beyond measure by One who will never let us go.

We are loved by One who took our place of punishment and death.

So Happy Valentine's Day.

For God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son

that whoever believes on Him

should not perish

but have eternal life.

John 3:16

"Come Unto Me"

I just need to post this, both because I need it right now, and I'm sure there are others who could too.

Be Still and Know

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God. . ."

Sunday, one of the songs we sang in church had to do with trusting God and being still in His presence. 

Monday, a dear family at our church buried their three month old daughter. One of the songs at the funeral was about being still and worshiping God. 

The funeral shook me up quite a bit, and afterwards I went for a drive, just to think and pray alone. 

I ended up at a beach, just staring at the waves. 

And that's when I realized (again) what being still with God really is.

You know when you're with that friend and you don't need to say anything to fill in the silence because it's a comfortable one? I think that's what being still is. It's sort of like a lull in the conversation, where you've poured out your heart, and you're just waiting on Him to speak to you.

It's really nice. And very comforting. 

And it isn't something you only do when things are hard.

It's something we should be doing all the time. 

It's hard. I know it is. There are so many distractions, from school, work, friends, obligations, technology (hey, I admit this freely, and I love my gadgets).

But God gave us the time we have . . . shouldn't we "spare" some for Him . . . ?

Homemade Cash Back Rewards Program (and other money saving tips)

We'd all like more of this, yeah?
Well, I know that being a commuting college student who works part-time can mean a really, really tight budget.
I'm seeing all these commercials for "cash back rewards programs", but those are all for credit cards, something most of us really don't want to become entangled in.
So what's a girl to do?
I've given this more thought than I could afford to and came to this realization: most full-time students work more hours during the summer than during the actual school year.
This means that we're generally making money over the summer to last us during the "drought" so to speak.
So, how do we make sure that we're saving enough for the important things like textbooks, car insurance, and rent?

First, the homemade cash back rewards program.

I'll admit it: this is more or less a result of my laziness and unwillingness to carry around change, but hey, it works.
Make all planned purchases in cash.
This means groceries, makeup, clothes, and other things that you'd typically put on a shopping list.
Here's how the cash back works: take the change* you've gotten back from the purchase and stash it away for later. This can be a Black Friday fund, a rainy day fund, an emergency fund (which is probably the wisest, especially if you're living off your own means).
*(When I say "change", I mean the actual coins, but it's up to you what you stash away -- it can be anything less than a $5, less than a $20, whatever works for you in your current situation.)

Second, save money online.

This is a lifesaver for those of us that buy and rent textbooks and such online: Ebates. I know it sounds like a scam, but it's not; I signed up and have already gotten a "big fat check".
This is how Ebates works: you go to their site and search for the store you want to shop at, say Chegg.

You'll see that Chegg has a 4.5% cash back value; this varies per store.
All you have to do is click "Shop Now", and you'll be rerouted to that site. Shop as you would normally, and a percentage of your price will be put back in your pocket!
Ebates also has coupon codes for sites, so those are worth looking into as well. (RetailMeNot also has coupon codes. Very handy indeed.)

Third, be smart when shopping for textbooks.

Of course it's easier to just check Amazon and Half.com for textbooks, but I've found that those aren't always the cheapest places to get them.
Here are some other sites you'll want to check as well:
AbeBooks
Bookrenter
Chegg
Ecampus
Textbooks.com
Also, when you're planning to buy books, get them as early as you can. Most people sell their books at the end of the semester, which means there will be a large supply, usually lowering the cost. This also means that if you're planning to sell, wait until a week or two before school begins; those who have procrastinated will be hunting the books down and most will already be sold out.
If you're planning to rent, you'll learn that some sites offer books for a "semester", while others simply offer 60, 90, and 125 day periods. Calculate how long you'll need the book (fall semesters generally end the first week of December while spring semesters typically last until the first week of May), and rent the book as early as possible to keep your cost down.

Fourth, take advantage of gift cards.

When somebody gives you a gift card, it's usually the best gift ever.
But what if you don't like the restaurant, or there is no store around you to use it in?
Simple: sell the card or trade it.
How?
Plastic Jungle.
You can sell unwanted gift cards and buy discounted gift cards to places you actually like. This is also a great way to save even more money on sales, too.

Fifth, spend some time budgeting.

I know it's a pain, but it really comes in handy. Whether it's making an Excel Worksheet, keeping a ledger, using Mint, or what have you, it's a good skill to learn. Here's what my Worksheet looks like:

All I do is enter my income and my formulas do the rest for me.

10% is taken out for a tithe.

The tithe plus any other immediate bills (textbooks, loans from parents) is subtracted from the net income to give me my subtotal.

Now, my car insurance is taken out monthly from my savings account at Bank #1, so that's pretty much all I use that account for. 60% of the subtotal is deposited there.

At Bank #2, my savings is (theoretically) untouched (read: emergencies) and my checking is primarily for gas, as I commute to school instead of live on campus. 25% of my subtotal is deposited into checking for gas, and the remaining 15% percent is put in savings. 

Obviously, this can be tailored to what you think is best for your specific situation.

Also, if you want this Worksheet, just email me and I'll get it sent to you.

And finally, be open to making money on the side.

This can include blogging / being sponsored, making things to sell on Etsy, babysitting, self-publishing stories, pretty much whatever! Just don't get too caught up in the income part of it (Proverbs 31: 10-31).

If you have any other tips for how you save money or work your budget, leave a comment below!

An AWESOME New Blog!

So, my friend Jennifer has started a new blog . . . and it is awesome.
Be a love and check it out? I'm sure you'll be blessed by it!

Hi! I'm Jennifer and I blog over at Blessings All Mind With Ten Thousand Beside. I just got started this week, so I'm a beginner at this whole blogger thing. I'm excited though. My blog is going to be about me, my family, our life and the things that God is teaching me. I am also planning to answer some of the questions that teenage girls ask me! You can find out more by visiting the blog and reading the About Me page and the About the Blog page. So head on over and check it out! Or if you have a question you can email me at: betterthatway@gmail.com.

A (Crafty) Lesson Learned . . .

So, I have this shop on Etsy.
And I've been experimenting with different projects.
Well, I haven't taken art in years, but I remember that I can't paint.
I always get way too caught up in the details and don't spend enough time on the big picture.
Well, I decided to give it another shot: I'm making a plaque for this girly that I babysit. 
It's got Psalm 27:1 on it with "Lord" and "light" in pink glow in the dark.
I briefly considered buying a stencil sheet for the lettering, but was all like, "Eh, people love my handwriting; I can totally freehand this!"
Ha.
Again, I say ha. 
NOPE.
I mean, I freehanded(?) it okay, but it looks a bit childish. I suppose that's okay, as it is for a child's room, but . . . I dunno, I had higher hopes for it.
Oh well.
Next time, I'm getting the stencils.
. . .
Ha, who do I think I'm kidding?
No I won't.

Essay Entitled "Cake"

Author's Note: the following is not intended to be taken literally, seriously, etc. Any of those who take this literally, seriously, etc. will deserve any embarrassment that follows from taking this post literally, seriously, etc.

Cake.

Fascinating subject, isn't it? So many varieties, shapes, and colors that have no bearing on the flavor whatsoever so when you think you're taking a giant piece of White cake it's really Coconut cake you've got on that shiny red Chinet plate you're carrying to the table that you're going to run away from in desperate search of the bathroom when you realize your fatal error!
(No offense intended to y'all out there that like Coconut, but everyone who doesn't like it totally understands.)
Cake was invented in the Year 1, when Adam and Eve celebrated their first anniversary.
Well, it was also the first anniversary ever, so I hope the cake was nice.
But, according to recent research done by Tu Retts Inc., the cake is a lie.
Yup.
That prettiful thing your momma made on all of your birthdays, even after you moved out?
LIES.
Not that mothers would lie. They've been taken in, too.
Why is it a lie?
That . . . has yet to be determined, but most likely the research methods will be able to facilitate the appropriate experiments roughly around the same time Halo makes it to the Silver Screen. So, um, yeah, don't hold your breath.

(By the way, Caroline came up with the word "prettiful"; you can read her blog here.)

Winsomeness

Even though I've missed two straight weeks of Mrs. Audrey and Mrs. Claudia's Sunday School class, I've been thinking about something they stress a lot: being winsome.

I bought one of those cheap plastic pencil cases at Wal-Mart the other day (thank God for after school sales!) for the purpose of holding makeup and other goodies.

I wanted it to be unique (and not just cheap), so I wrote out 1 Timothy 2:9-10 on an index card in my best writing in pink. Here's the translation I used (ESV) courtesy of studylight.org:

     "9 Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works."

I <3 this verse.

The concepts of being "respectable", "modest", having "self-control", and being "proper" seem lost in today's society. I'm not saying I'm never guilty of not being any of these, but I do strive to be these things. It's not mainstream. It's not popular. But, hey - Jesus wasn't mainstream or popular. 

I honestly can't remember what prompted me to write this . . . I think it was the fact I'd written it for my makeup box along with the fact that I had just finished an 'argumentative close-reading' of a section of Hamlet.

I don't know.

Heck, we're all lucky I remembered this draft!

So, yes, this is what I've been working on all week.

^-^

Anyhooz, back to the WINSOMENESS . . . 

Mrs. Audrey loves the word "winsome". She says that word is lost, and rather old-fashioned sounding (she's right; it is, but I'm an English major; I love old words).

She says that we ought to be "winsome" to "win some".

I <3 that concept.

XD

Also, you can read her blog HERE. It's pretty much an epic win.

Looking Back . . .

It's hard to believe that about a year ago today I graduated from high school. I went to my friends' graduation today, and every time one of them stood to speak, I could remember - in startling clarity - what it was like to do the same.
The life-lessons I've learned this past year have been somewhat few, I suppose, but by no means insignificant.
The most important thing I've learned is to really take hold of God's promises. He didn't just say nice things to give us stuff to say to each other when we're going through a tough time; He said them so that we could run to Him for comfort.
1 Peter 5:7 says: "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you".
This has never been more real to me than through the past year. There were times - and there will be times - when I would cry myself to sleep, wondering how the heck I was going to pass a test, a paper, or merely survive the week. I realized that He was just waiting for me to give him my burdens, and then let them be - - at least for the night. [Obviously, I understand that I have to put in some time and effort, too.]
I just can't explain the peace that I would feel. I'm not a touchy-feely kind of person, and I'm not (generally speaking) subject to much emotion, but this was real. The peace of God really does "transcend all understanding".
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: it's been one heckuva long year, but it's really been worth it. I would not trade anything for the closeness that's been brought to my relationship with Jesus because of this year.
To those who are facing freshman year - tackle it head on! And congratulations to the CBCCA Class of 2011!

Gasping for air . . .

So, college has been rather stressful lately. Part of it is my fault; I know it is: I tend to procrastinate on things I could do right away. I'm praying God will help me overcome that. Also, I need to learn to let Him calm me. It sounds easy, but it's really not. I never really realized that before I got to college. He says "Come unto Me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest." (And so help me, I cannot think of the reference. If you know it, please comment below; it would be much appreciated!) I guess my problem is this: I'm a control freak. I need to have control of everything. Life doesn't let us control much, if anything. If we just give over our burdens to Jesus, life would be so much easier! I know that sometimes at night, I find myself rehearsing my schedule for tomorrow along with what has to be done by when. One night, I found myself on the verge of tears because I was so overloaded! I would like to say that I 'laid' my burdens down at Jesus' feet but I didn't. I think I dropped them! It was just so amazing the peace I had when I knew He was with me. It's like I told my mom the first week or so of school: Jesus said He'd never leave me, and He most certainly didn't bring me to this point just to let me fall on my derriere and fail alone. Yes, I may fall on my derriere and fail, but He'll be with me every step of the way.

Ah, that was therapeutic!

So, after Final Exams, I've decided to go through my notes and such and post all the wonderfully random and quirky things my awesome professors have said this semester. (God is SO GOOD; I love all my profs!) They shall remain nameless, don't worry. ;]