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

Thankful for a Smile

You know those days when you feel like all you have to offer someone is a smile?
Or when someone's given you a smile and it really does just make your day so much better?
What if you didn't even have that to offer?

There are some kids who don't.
And more than that, for some, it's life-threatening -- babies who are born with cleft palates and cleft lips have difficulty eating, which can lead to starvation. They also have frequent ear infections and dental problems.
In some cases, children given up for adoption with cleft palates or cleft lips have a lesser chance of being adopted.

Operation Smile is an organization that performs life-changing surgeries on kids born with cleft palates and cleft lips. The surgeries are free of charge to the families, who often can't begin to afford the procedure on their own.

If this is a cause you'd like to support, please donate here.

Remember, even when you've got nothing to give, you have a smile.
Be thankful for that.

This post has been sponsored by Campus Book Rentals.
Campus Book Rentals sends a donation to Operation Smile for every book bought and rented.

A Pinteresting Tumbl of a Day

Pin it here (x).

You Are a Failure

We all have those days when we feel like our brains have stopped working, we can't do anything right, and all our past sins and mistakes just seem like they're hovering over us, waiting for us to fall again.
We all have those days when we feel like utter failures.
The thing we have to realize, though, is that when the world tells us we're great and smart and gonna succeed, they may be right in a sense, but it's a lie.
We have to realize that we are failures.
But here's the key -- we're failures apart from God.
What can a fallen, sinful person do on their own?
Fail. Time and time and time again.
But what about a person filled with God, trusting in Him for everything?
They may fall occasionally, but they will be victorious for His glory.
That's not to say they never feel like they can't do it. That's not to say that they never feel guilty about things they've done or opportunities they've passed up.
The difference is that they admit that and thank God for loving them anyway.
And God loves failures.
And once He changes them and lives in them, they're not failures anymore.
They're victors.

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?

Why Pandora is awesome . . . and slightly awkward.

I gotta say, I love Pandora.

It’s free.

It’s got a TON of stuff there.

And it tries to understand what you do and do not like.

Heck, that’s pretty impressive.

But it can be sort of awkward.

For instance, you don’t know what’s going to be played next.

The wild card factor doesn’t really bother me, but if an objectionable song comes on, that’s always the moment a younger sibling or a parent comes into your room to ask you something.

And that’s probably when you’ve hit your skip limit too, so you have to switch stations entirely.

Ahhh, modern technology.

But really, I do love Pandora.

I have entirely too many stations, but oh well.

I really like that they’ve upped the number of songs played per artist – it used to be two per hour. Now I guess it’s like five. That’s always nice.

If I could suggest just one feature, though, it’d be an automatic list builder of songs you’ve given a thumbs up.

So much better than taking a picture of the song info. . .

UPDATE: A friend hath introduced me to Slacker Radio.
ME GUSTA.
Slacker Radio keeps track of the songs you've liked, which is very, very, very helpful to people like me who are prone to forget things like their names and trivial things like that.
Only downside is that they don't have as many artists as Pandora has, but I'm content to use both -- Pandora for my more obscure tastes, and Slacker Radio for the more popular ones.

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.

Subjects of Songs

I just gotta say . . . I feel really sorry for the people other people write songs about.

Like, basically for pretty much every guy Taylor Swift or Adele has ever dated or crushed on.

Take "Teardrops on my Guitar", for example.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love that song. It's part of the reason I respect Taylor: it's not a catty song about her liking a guy and trying to steal him. It's about her liking a guy and wanting him to be treated right and loved, even if it's not her being loved back. If fact, she tries her best not to interfere.

I really respect that.

But I hope she went by the whole "the names have been changed to protect the innocent" thing, because if she really liked some guy named Drew . . . somebody really felt awful when that was released.

Or say, Christina Perri's "Jar of Hearts".

I love that song, too. Actually, it seems like I've been living some of the songs from "Lovestrong" lately, but that's slightly irrelevant. 

If you watch the music video, it's heartbreaking, but beautiful in a bitter, sad sort of way.

It's like she hates him for what he did to her . . . but knows he's going to end up hurt in the end, too.

That guy must feel pretty bad too.

I guess I just feel like I'd have to walk on eggshells around my friend if they were a songwriter - I wouldn't want to end up the butt of a song.

Though, in a way, I guess it's sort of a nod: they meant enough to them that they wrote a song about them.

Anyway, it's just interesting.

And sad.

And sweet, sometimes.

Contentment and Letting Go

I actually wrote this in a random notebook almost a year ago and just now found it - thought it might be good to share. 

It's not just "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want".

It's "the Lord is my ___, I shall not want".

The Lord is my friend, I shall not want.

The Lord is my protector, I shall not want.

The Lord is my comforter, I shall not want.

The Lord is my provider, I shall not want.

The Lord is the lover of my soul, I shall not want.

The Lord is my guider, I shall not want.

The Lord is my study buddy, I shall not want.

So why do I still want?

Because I'm not satisfied in Him.

I'm not filled with Him.

I want to be.

I thirst for Him.

I am weary of my burdens - He alone can give me rest.

Why don't I give them to Him?

Why don't I just surrender everything?

Because I like to be in control.

I never was.

And honestly, I don't want to be in control anymore - I don't know what I'm doing.

Ever.

I want Him to be in control.

It might not make things easier. . .

But it will be better.

Sleepy Saturday Link Up!

I love Saturdays.

Like, really.

I really love Saturdays. 

Way more than I used to.

It's the one day I can sleep in, though I find myself jolting awake at 8ish and thinking "OMIGOSH I NEED TO GET TO CLASS NOW!"

It's a rude awakening, but the realization that I don't have to get out of bed is a beautiful thing and almost makes up for it.

Almost.

So this Saturday, I'm doing boring stuffs, namely schoolwork.

I've got a paper to start.

A book to read in its entirety. 

Research a presentation.

Look into internships.

Apply for a job.

And . . . I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting, but oh well.

What are y'all up to this loverly Saturday?

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

Ramblings of a Fangirl: Opera Peeves

So, don't get me wrong, I am a huge Phan.

. . .

A fan of Phantom of the Opera.

A phan.

All of it. 

The book. The Broadway. The movies. The spin-off plays and musicals and books.

All of it.

NOT Love Never Dies. 

May the Hero Otto Webber rest in peace.

(Some of you understand what that means and I commend you.)

But there's something that really irks me about the play and the movie.

They used fake operas.

In a tale that takes place almost entirely in an opera house, there's not a single real opera in it.

There is in the book and in other versions: they perform Faust multiple times, which is actually far better suited to the Phantom than the fake ones, but that's a rabbit trail you don't want to see me go down.

But I checked on the operas, because Il Muto sounds hilarious. 

But alas, it does not exist.

The fact that they're all English should have tipped me off, but it didn't.
It irked me for a while, but then I forgot about it . . .
. . . till I saw the opera scene from Fifth Element.
Not sure I would suggest the movie, but for those of you who have missed this glorious scene, you can thank me later:

Yeah.
Is that not beautiful?
And here's where it gets even better - IT'S REAL.
It's from Lucia di Lammermoor, and this is the famous "mad scene".
You know, the "mad scene"?
Like THE "shower scene" . . . ?
No . . . ?
Oh.
Okay.
Anyway, this happens right after Lucy marries the guy she doesn't want, kinda snaps, and stabs him.
On their wedding night.
With all the guests downstairs.
Yeah . . .
Awkward.
But she's calling for her true love when she sings this.
Um . . . drenched in blood. . .
But here's what I don't get . . .
. . . a play about an opera ghost can't take the trouble to fit a real opera into the play somewhere, but a sci-fi movie that has nothing to do with operas does. . . ?

"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 . . . ?

Christmas Shenanigans

You know what's really weird?

Me and my mom have quite different tastes.

Example: many, many moons ago, my uncle gave me the EXTENDED edition of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers for Christmas. I began to watch it as soon as I could, and my mom fell asleep on the couch next to me. She woke up during a scene with the Ents (which she now loves because they "help the short guys") and said, "What is that?"

I told her they were Ents.

Now, my mom has been in the medical field for a while, so she was probably like "ear nose and throat . . . ???"

She looked at the screen, looked at me, and back at the screen.

"I'm going back to sleep."

Now, that isn't to say we don't have anything in common, and this proves it. 

For Christmas I decided to get my mom two movies she liked when we were kids but hadn't seen in a long time, probably coinciding with the VHS to DVD transition. 

I bought her Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Now, just take a wild guess as to what was in my stocking . . . ?

Yep.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Whoever said great minds think alike was right.

And here's my favorite part of Mary Poppins (because everyone loves this part, and if you don't, go get your head checked now before healthcare prices shoot up):

And from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, because I don't think it's nearly as popular as it should be:

Cuffing Season

"All I Want for Christmas is You" . . . "Blue Christmas" . . . "Last Christmas" . . . Honestly, what are these gals expecting? A man tied up in ribbons under the tree for them?

Unfortunately, no - they have to catch one themselves. 

Or at least, they feel they do.

I think that's pretty sad.

I know it'd be nice to have someone to dote on you, to take you places, and to just be with, but - as I see it - someone you just flirt with and pick up just because you don't want to be alone probably won't stick around for the long-haul and isn't that what we want in the end?

The way I see it, you'll be saved a lot of heartache if you just wait for the right guy. 

Waiting isn't easy, but then - I know it's cliche - but great things usually aren't easy. 

I know a few girls who insist they're trusting God for everything in their lives, but they chase after guys like there's no tomorrow. 

Every time I feel like I need a guy to make me happy, I just remember that He's far more than enough to make me truly happy.

God knows what He's doing, and that's something, because most days I don't know what I'm going to do.

Sometimes I would think about how it'd be nice just to have a guy to study with and spend free time with . . . but I realized that that's very selfish. Think about it: if you don't have the time or energy to invest in a relationship, it's cheating the other person. And if you only want them around for the perks, you probably wouldn't want to stay when things get tough, either. And what if they realize the only reason you wanted them around was for what they could do for you . . . can you imagine what that would feel like? 

Unfortunately, I do. Not from a guy, but friends. Or rather, 'friends'. And people I'm very close to have felt the same, and I promise you, that will not only affect you and your significant other, but also friends on both sides. It's not something to take lightly. 

Anyway, you don't need a guy or a girl in your life to be happy, especially during the Christmas and New Years seasons. It's a time to be with good friends and your family. That time doesn't last forever - enjoy it while you can . . . with no distractions!

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Words We Should Change the Definition of: Adorable

Okay, this is what happens when you have too much to do and you do none of it - you think of words to change the definitions of. But whatever. 

So, "adorable". 

What does that mean?

When people say adorable, they usually mean "cute", "sweet", stuff like that.

But to "adore" means to: "regard with the utmost esteem, love, and respect; honor" (Dictionary.com). 

Hmm. Interesting.

To "be adorable" isn't as cutesy as we've made it. 

To "be adorable" is really something everyone should be, not just babies, puppies, and kittens.

Which is unfortunate, because I use adorable a lot. 

But sometimes I do use it in the right context. 

I wonder if people know that . . .

My Thoughts on . . . Fidelio

Fidelio is one of the best operas ever.

Like, legit.

It's awesome.

The plot's a bit convoluted, and I don't want to spoil anything by trying to explain it, so I'm just not going to. 

It sounds kinda rough, but that's just because it's in German. After a while, you get used to it, but there is this really funny part right at the beginning where this guard's trying to woo the jail keeper's daughter, and she's so sick of it that she pounds the table over and over shouting "Nein nein nein nein!"

Funniest. Opera scene. Ever. 

And it only works in German, so yeah.

But it's an awesome love (and sort of a spy) story, but not mushy. Totally not mushy. 

I'd give it a 5/5.

It's really that great. 

Any thoughts on my review? Did I miss anything or not give it enough praise? Comment below!