Christmas Tag

I was tagged to do this Christmas Tag by Hannah.

Technically, I'm supposed to tag 3 people but I'm not going to...:P

Is your Christmas tree up?
Yes, and it's beautiful! :)

How about the rest of your decorations?
They're also up.

Do you have an artificial tree or a real tree?
Real....we're kind of tree-snobs....it has to be real, and it's preferred that we cut it down ourselves.

Do you have any lights or decorations outside?
Not for the last few years; our house is so far back from the road that very few people would actually get to see them.

Do you have a favorite ornament on the tree?
Quite a few...the hand-crocheted snowflakes my great-grandma made, the clear-glass icicles, the little owl reading 'Twas the night before Christmas', the Precious Moment ornaments Daddy and Mommy collected for years...you get the idea.

How many Christmas trees do you usually have up?
One big tree, a few fake trees in different bedrooms.

What is the best Christmas present you have ever gotten?
Oh, goodness....no idea.

Who do you celebrate Christmas with?
My mom's side of the family and our church on Christmas Eve, my immediate family on Christmas Day, and my dad's side of the family a few days after Christmas.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
I hate picking favorites...I adore Christmas music and absolutely can't pick a favorite.

What is your favorite Christmas food?
Ugh, another favorite? I should have known. Um....the truffles my sister makes; the coffee-flavored oreos my 'brother' makes (I hate coffee, but these are amazing); chocolate-covered pretzels; the traditional German cookies my Grandma makes...that's what comes to mind first, but I'm sure there's more.

What is your favorite Christmas memory?
Another impossible question...

Do you have trouble falling asleep on Christmas eve?
No, not usually--we get home really late from my Grandparent's house, and then we sleep in Christmas morning.

What time do you usually wake up on Christmas morning?
8? Not really sure...it's a family day so there's not a schedule.

Do you do any special traditions for Christmas?
A ton...my family is huge on tradition.

Well, that's that! :)

-Leah

Giveaway: It's (not that) Complicated

The Botkin sisters (visionarydaughters.com) have come out with a brand new book on girl-guy relationships called "It's (not that) Complicated", and it looks absolutely fantastic!

It's on my Christmas list, but now Anna Sofia and Elizabeth are graciously giving away a signed copy!

To enter the giveaway, go here.

-Leah

Believing God

I've been reading 'Believing God' by Beth Moore, and something she said really struck me:

"[Everything hinges on this:] God is who He says He is. In fact, He's either everything He says He is, or He's a liar and unworthy of any faith at all....Over and over in Scripture, when God was about to move in the lives of His people or instruct them to reposition, He began with a reminder of who He was."
 A few of the examples she gives:

"I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."-Genesis 15:7
"I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless."-Genesis 17:1
"God said to Moses: 'I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"-Exodus 3:14

Everything in my life hinges on whether or not my God is who He says He is.
Do I really believe that God is who He says He is? If I really, deep in my heart, believe this then my life should show it.

If I really believe that God is my Jehovah Jireh, my provider, I won't ever have to worry about money.

If I really believe that God is sovereign, then I'll never worry about the future...or about today, come to think about it.

If I really believe that God is incapable of making any mistakes and that everything He does is good, that includes myself...and I'll be able to view myself as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, beautiful in His eyes.

I read Psalm 78 yesterday morning. It talks about how much God did for Israel, and how stubborn and heard-hearted they were, how unfaithful they were. Then it says:

"They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them." (v. 11)

"...In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of all His wonders, they did not believe. So He ended their days in futility and terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek Him; they eagerly turned to Him again. They remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer."-v.32-35 (emphasis mine)

 They forgot who God was and what He had done for them. They only remembered when He rescued them from trouble...and, if you know anything about Israel you know they quickly forgot again.

Ouch.

I see this in my own life: God has done so much for me. And He has revealed Himself to me in amazing ways. But there are days when I forget who God is...not about Him, but His very nature and character. I don't live like I really believe God is who He says He is.

I want to wake up every single morning remembering who my God is; I want to walk through my life believing that God really is who He says He is. I want to choose to believe Him when it's hard...I want people to see, through my life, that He is worth it all.

For His glory!

Leah

The Unedited Me

I’m staring at a blank page and realizing that it’s easy to get out of practice with this whole blogging thing…here is where I make my excuses give my reasons for the absence of posts around here:

1. Blogger decided to go wonky on me and hasn’t been letting me post. I really did try to post something a few days ago, and Blogger promptly ignored it.
2. That little thing called insecurity. *sigh*

I frequently wrestle with this issue, wondering why I can’t ever get it right. This has translated over to blogging, and (especially with siblings reading it) I’ve been shying away from writing anything personal/spiritual—anything that gives a tiny glimpse into what God’s been doing in my life—for fear of people who really knowing me reading and thinking “What a hypocrite—she doesn’t live this!”

And it’s true: God has chosen to pour out His grace on me and slowly chip away at the junk in my life, sanctifying me and changing me more into His likeness (I hope?) but I so often slip and fail…I so often disappoint. I so often make dumb choices. But I’m going to blog anyway, for now at least. These aren’t the writings of a perfect person who has it all together—not by a long shot; these are the scribblings of a young lady who is blessed beyond measure by a God who chooses to reveal more of Himself to her every day. So, this is a little picture of the unedited me.

Moving on, (I'm just making this post up as I go along...I'll probably come back and edit the "unedited me" later on ;) )

Life is so good, but really crazy right now: Christmas preparations (:D :D :D--not excited at all), a midterm exam looming in my near future, and lots of ministry. I've been kind of swept along with everything going on, and a verse read during my devotions yesterday really stood out to me: 

"Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days--what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here]. 

Behold, You have made my days as [short as] handbreadths, and my lifetime is nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Selah [pause and think calmly of that]!

Surely every man walks to and fro--like a shadow in a pantomime; surely for futility and emptiness he is in turmoil; each one heaps up riches, not knowing who will gather them. 

And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You."-Psalm 39:4-7 (Amplified)

The NIV starts out 'Teach me'.
Father, teach me to number my days. Show me how short my life really is--how precious time is, and how awful it really is to waste any of it. May I wake up every morning realizing the gift every moment is.

Well, there you have it. I'm off to make flashcards for the aforementioned midterm and listen to Christmas music.

-Leah
   

When one doesn't have time...

...for a real blog post, one (namely me) can always use a handy fill-in-the-blanks form. Right? Of course, right.

Because it's been so long since I last posted, I felt like this place could use a bit of action. But a glance at the list of things-still-to-be-done-tonight cast a slight damper on that idea, so this will have to suffice for now.

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Time: 8:45 p.m.

Thought/Quote/Verse/Idea for the day: "The man who has forgotten to be thankful has fallen asleep in life." -Robert Louis Stevenson

I got up at: 7:00 a.m.

I am listening to: Christmas music! :D 

I most recently ate: Leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.

I am currently working on: A whole conglomeration of things

Comfort food/beverage at the moment: Hm...not sure.

I am looking forward to: Christmas. Snow. Packages arriving in the next few weeks (possibly the best part of online shopping!). Several of the things happening this week.

I am reading: Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh Demoss. And I'm still plugging my way through Broke by Glen Beck, but I'm very nearly finished with it.

I am memorizing: Still working my way through 1 Corinthians. Very slowly.

I am thinking: About many different things, as always.

Plans for the day: Bible study and errands this morning, and the rest of the day has been full of those random scattered tasks around the house.

In my hair: A loose messy bun.

Most recently wrote: Part of a letter.

I am thankful for: Hope.

I am wearing: A denim skirt, fuzzy socks, a teal t-shirt and a cozy white sweater

Latest gift listed in my notebook: The living, active, transforming Word of God

Christian self-help book I am currently reading: The aforementioned Choosing Gratitude.

My surroundings: Unless I get a laptop, the answer to this question pretty much doesn't change. Just saying...

I am craving: My big fuzzy blanket and a book. And my journal.

I should be: Writing a couple of letters, finishing cleaning my bedroom, taking a shower, etc.

Tomorrow I will: Hopefully get a lot done around the house in the morning, go to GNC in the afternoon, then to Truth Project in the evening.

Book I am contemplating reading next: Hm....not sure. One of my library books.

Random fact about myself: I am so stubborn...and frequently so dense. *frustrated sigh*

The weather is: Clear and cold. And dark.

Any library books at the moment: Just about always! :)

Movie(s) I watched within the week: None, unless the Packer game counts, which it doesn't.

Indignant about: Indignant? Me? :)

Random movie/book quote that's running through my head: Nothing at the moment, surprisingly.

Scratchy pen or smooth pen: Smooth.

Last thing I threw away: A napkin.

Last book I bought/received: I just bought a whole bunch of books for Christmas gifts.

I am wondering: Hm....many things.

Song stuck in my head: He is God, one of our new CEF songs.

Most recent crazy plan: Ha ha...I actually did have one the other day, but it can't be shared here. ;)

Under the clip: The clip has burst. I really need to sort through this mound of paperwork....

Random English word, compliments of the word-a-day on the dictionary app on my phone: Serry: to crowd closely together.

I learned today: That 'Serry' means to crowd closely together ;)

Picture-thought:

Because I just decorated my Grandma's Christmas tree...and I'm currently unable to upload pictures from my camera onto the computer (Grr!)

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully more soon! :) (And something a bit more substantial...:P)