Advent

         The Christmas season is upon us once again. Christmas makes the days a little brighter, and the nights a bit more welcoming. Every decoration, song, and movie fills my head with memories wrapped in nostalgia. For the past couple of years I have celebrated the Advent holiday in a more traditional way. I am and grew up Pentecostal Holiness. The church I attend does not celebrate Advent the same way other more traditional churches do, and we do not have a Christmas eve service. Which in their defense is sometimes nice because that time is designated for family time and personal reflection. But I have a desire to celebrate everyday of December in remembrance and deep thought of our Christ's decent to Earth as a child. My goal is to turn off my social networking radar and focus my attention on anticipating the holiday and spending intentional time with family and close friends. This is my last Christmas at home before I get married in the spring and I am excited about savoring every minute.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and if you would like to know more about Advent HERE is a link to a wonderful blog that explains in detail why Advent is so special. The You Version Bible app has some great Advent reading plans if you are interested. Also, the Book of Common Prayer has a great reading section about the Advent. I hope these links answer any questions, if not comment below I will try to find out more for you!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Dinner

Because the Mister and I are going to be apart at our families houses for Christmas we celebrated our Christmas a few days ago when we were together! It was a perfect Christmas date and one I would strongly suggest for other couples anytime! 

We went to this restaurant  Downtown called Caffe Luna. It was simply divine! 

 

Mozzarella and Tomato's 

Bow Tie Pasta with Grilled Salmon in a Pink Sauce! 

Best Lasagna in the entire world! Promise! 

So I had never tried Caribou Coffee before out side of buying it from the grocery store, which I have never liked all that much. But when we went to the store I was amazed at how good their drinks were! Way better than Starbuck's mixed coffee drinks. They don't use syrups like most coffee places use, they use REAL caramel, and REAL melted chocolate! I was in heaven! 

We even played a few rounds of card games at the coffee shop! It was a wonderful Christmas treat! 

Hows your Christmas shopping and planning going? Don't forget to take time and Celebrate Jesus Christ our LORD for all his awesomeness and wonder this season!! 

Blessings and Merry Christmas Eve! 

Violin + Dubstep = MINDBLOWN

Hello all, Surprisingly enough I hope you have come back this Friday for a musical treat. Since the world didn't end and we are still circling in the stars correctly I have a super duper music choice today that I hope you all will enjoy as much as I have! 

Lindsey Stirling - What Child is This

Lindsey Stirling is one of the first american artists to mix classical violin with modern dance! She is also know for her mix of dubstep!! Here is a link to her website.

Lindsey Stirling - Crystallize Dubstep

Crystallize is one of her most popular songs. 

And for all of y'all who are waiting to see if the Zombi Apocalypse is occurring on Saturday here is a song for you! 

Lindsey Stirling - Moon Trance

Go check her out on youtube and on iTunes, 

Merry Christmas! 

White Christmas? I think not...

So, it has been warm in eastern NC, just to say the least. I don't think I ever remember having a Christmas this warm. Some days can get a little windy and brisk, but that is all I can say to describe such events. I hope some of you are having a cool winter! 

This week has been crazy (fun). My amazing Mr Fiance has been here visiting from his home for the past week. We have spent a ton of time with family and close friends. 

I must be the biggest Christmas procrastinator of all. (I get it from my dad) because I have only bought (made) like 4 gifts this season. If I don't have my days mixed up Christmas is in 5 days!!! How in the world does time fly like that! I always have the intention to start making gifts early but that never happens. So I will be working on that the next couple of days. 

Let me know how your holiday shopping is going? 

Merry Christmas!! 

Cozy Sunday

The weekend has been wonderful! We picked out and decorated our family live christmas tree, baked cookies, and watched plenty of Christmas movies! God is so good! Jesus is the great comforter. This week tragedy has hit our nation once again, the evil one tries to cause us to question God and blame him for letting such things happen. But, I want to encourage you that it is not God who is to blame for such catastrophe. There is so much bad in the world and people have a free will to do what ever they like. Jesus is there to comfort us through the Holy Spirit!!! I pray that all those affected by the shooting and the parents of all the children would rely on God to give them strength and comfort in this time of trial! I pray blessings to all of them! My Gods hand rest upon their hearts! 

(There is no way to make peanut butter look pretty!)

They are soo yummy! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Delights

2 1/2 c. sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa

1/2 c. milk

1 stick butter

Dash salt

1/2 c. peanut butter

2 1/2 c. quick rolled oats (I used 3 cups)

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, butter, and salt together. Cook 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons on wax paper (I use an ice cream scoop.) Makes approximately 32 cookies. 

recipe by: Jean Autry in "Gospel Tabernacle Pentecostal Holiness Church Cookbook"

Blessings :)

Water and Soap

As the month of December passes I have been showing you all some of the names of Jesus known from the Bible. And just to shake things up a bit I am adding a review in as well. God wants our relationship to be practical and not just surface level. Today we are going to look at Jesus as the LIVING WATER!! 

Annibale Carracci (1560-1609)

In John 4:10 it says "Jesus answered her, "If you knew the give of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."'

This particular passage is taken from when Jesus is talking with the Samaritain Woman. The woman is know as the kind of woman who "gets around." She isn't perfect or clean in the worlds eyes, but Jesus sees potential in her. A potential to cleans her and help her. Jesus says the he can offer her a water that if accepted will quench her thirst completely. The type of living water Jesus is talking about is in the spiritual since. He is asking her to accept Jesus in her life and forgiver her of all the ugliness she has done. Jesus is the living water that cleanses us. He is calling us to drink and live! 

~~~~

Handmade Soap... I am so in love with home made treasures and especially handmade soaps!!

This handmade soap from Green Beanz Naturalz is fabulous! It smells amazing and feels so wonderfully smooth! I am a super fan of theirs! Go check them out!! (and their super reasonable)

Lavender Goats Milk Soap

 

Let me know what types of soap you like! Also, soaps make wonderful gifts! 

Blessings! 

Advocate

Our Advocate

1 John 2:1

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

We have such an awesome hope in Jesus because no matter what we do if we return to him He will take us back and love us like we never left. Just as we fight for others; elderly, unborn, disabled, etc...

When we let God fight for us we are essentially giving our problems to him and letting him take complete care of us. That is really all God asks of us. He wants to be our Advocate and trust in him to take care of us. 

Who do you advocate for? How do you fight for others? 

We all fight for something, make it worth while :)

Blessings!! 

Everlasting Father

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So, to be honest it is really hard to comprehend that God is everlasting. We are finite people and it is so hard for us to understand and infinite God. 

David the Psalmist praised:

1 Chronicles 29:10
"David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our fatherIsrael, from everlasting to everlasting."

Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of our whole existence. He is always with us and always for us. He is a father when we have no father. We are his children and he wants what is best for us even in a hard situation. God is always teaching and training us for His purposes. We have such and awesome God!! I pray today that He will help you understand his everlastingness. 

How have you seen the Everlasting Father show off in your life?

Blessings! 

Everlasting God

HUMPDAY! 

Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Because I can not due this name of God justly I think Chris Tomlin does a great job. I hope you enjoy this song :) 

I hope your shopping and celebrating is going well!! 

Blessings! 

Mighty God

                   Isaiah 9:6 "For un to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

                 What a Mighty God our Father is! I believe this sweet Psalm is a perfect description of how Mighty he is. 

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹ The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
² From Zion, perfect in beauty,
    God shines forth.
³ Our God comes and will not be silent;
    a fire devours before him,
    and around him a tempest rages.
⁴ He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth, that he may judge his people:
⁵ “Gather to me my consecrated ones,
    who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    for God himself is judge. Selah

Blessings

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Isaiah 9:6 "For un to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

What is a wonderful counselor, and why do we need him?

To me, a counselor is someone who is wise and whom you can trust to keep all of your secrets. This person must also be honest and give strait feed back on a situation or thought. Even the Psalmist David needed a counselor way out in the fields watching the sheep. 

Psalms 119:23-24

"Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."

Have you ever felt like that? That people are just sitting around talking about how annoying you are? Or that some people just don't like you? I sure have, this week in fact. My fiance and I have been battling the devil all week in a situation that should have never arisen. When one thing comes, ten others like to follow. We have been praying about it and consulting counselors and the only counselor that seemed to give us any comfort was one that didn't have to even say a word. Our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR Jesus Christ. He came to the world to be our counselor and direct us in the ways of righteousness. It is amazing to think that even the smallest amount of faith can comfort a person so much, in good and bad times. I don't know what I would do without the Almighty. Sometimes I feel as though God needs me but it is always the opposite. I need God. I need him everyday and in every way. God knows what he is doing and it is for our good. The Prophet Isaiah says it best: 

Isaiah 40:13 "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?"

Trust in Him, our Wonderful Counselor! 

Blessings,

P.S. Happy Finals Week! I hope they all go well and we all finish strong!