Normally, Christmas is MY FAVORITE holiday and New Year's usually just gets the lingering excitement leftover from Christmas. Typically, I go all out for Christmas, complete with Christmas socks every day from Thanksgiving on, Christmas music 24/7 until January 3rd or 4th, and an insane amount of Christmas sweets and goodies. This year wasn't really any different. I did go all out for Christmas, but when New Year's came along, I had this brand new kind of excitement. It wasn't leftover Christmas nostalgia, it was a genuine giddiness all its own. I felt like 2014 was just going to be a brand new year with a brand new hope, and I think I'm right. I am still really hopeful for 2014. 2013 wasn't a bad year by any means, a lot of good things and bad things happened (just like every year), but for some reason, I was ready to put off the old and take on the new.
In our lives as followers of Jesus, we sometimes cling to the old, not because we don't love Jesus or because we love our old sinful lives, but because the familiar is safe to us. We've been there and we know we've survived somehow. But God doesn't call us into the familiar. He calls us to have the faith to step out into something new and completely unknown. That's what makes faith, faith. I realized that 2014 is completely unknown to me. I have no idea where I'll be December 31, 2014 at midnight, and that's terrifying, but exciting at the same time. Faith in Jesus isn't a religion, it's not a get-out-of-hell-free ticket, it's an exhilarating jump into the unknown of obedience, love, true peace, and overwhelming grace. I invite you to ask God what He is calling you into this year and to just jump. Don't question, don't worry what you're missing out on, because it will all be worth it in the end. I promise!
Picture time!! :)
In our lives as followers of Jesus, we sometimes cling to the old, not because we don't love Jesus or because we love our old sinful lives, but because the familiar is safe to us. We've been there and we know we've survived somehow. But God doesn't call us into the familiar. He calls us to have the faith to step out into something new and completely unknown. That's what makes faith, faith. I realized that 2014 is completely unknown to me. I have no idea where I'll be December 31, 2014 at midnight, and that's terrifying, but exciting at the same time. Faith in Jesus isn't a religion, it's not a get-out-of-hell-free ticket, it's an exhilarating jump into the unknown of obedience, love, true peace, and overwhelming grace. I invite you to ask God what He is calling you into this year and to just jump. Don't question, don't worry what you're missing out on, because it will all be worth it in the end. I promise!
Picture time!! :)
A Christmas Sing Along with Friends!
New English Students!! (Labeling the parts of their faces!)
No trip to the Midwest is complete with out shooting guns!
I had a great visit with my Grandmother on her 80th Birthday!
One of our tutoring students!
A sign at the new school where I'm teaching English!
Visiting downtown LA and heard some great Guatemalan music!
And ate some great Guatemalan food!
MacArthur Park Church!!
