Merry Christmas!!!

I cannot believe Christmas is only two days away! It feels like only yesterday we were ringing in 2008. I've been really studying and meditating on the nativity story over the past few weeks and here is the conclusion I've come to: God is gnarly. And so awesome. His timing was so perfect in coming down and being born on this earth. He came down under the names "King of the Jews" and the "Anointed One" at a time when two others thought they were the King of the Jews (King Herod) and the Anointed One (Caesar Augustus). Not a coincidence. He was born to a teenage girl and her newly wedded husband. In a manger. The Lord and Savior of this world was born in the feeding trough of a stable surrounded by farm animals. And God could have sent angels to alert kings, rulers and dignitaries that Jesus was born, but He sent them to shepherds instaed. To poor, nomadic men who spent most of their lives alone. Why? Because God's ways are definitely not man's ways. They are so much better. I too often view the birth of Jesus as this safe, warm event. And while it was joyful and good, safe is something that it was not. Yes, it was safe because God was in control, but can you imagine being Mary and Joseph? I bet they weren't thinking it was safe when they had to make the trek to Bethlehem, and when they found out Herod was out for blood. God is so awesome and Jesus' story and history are so much bigger than I give them credit. I hope you have an amazingly blessed Christmas in which the Lord is able to reveal a new piece of the puzzle of Jesus' birth and life that you hadn't seen before! Blessings!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

How about those Trojans? Rose Bowl here we come! Fight on :)

Yay!!!

Fall is finally here! Bring on the rain! I cannot tell you how much I love rainy days. There's no better excuse to be lazy, grab a good book and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and sit next to a fire all day. My friends joke that I was born in the wrong state because I loooove cold weather, coats, scarves and boots. There's just something about the crispness in the air and the holiday cheer that goes along with the fall and winter seasons. Happy Thanksgiving!

God is Good

Odds are that the rougher my week is, the more I'm learning from the Lord. This week's lesson was a much needed reminder that God is always good. I was reminded this week that God is good not because He takes away suffering, but because He enters into it. I've seen it time and again in my life as God has used sorrow and trials to really reach out to me and remind me that He loves me and wants to comfort me more than anyone on this earth ever could. It has been in those times when I've physically felt God's presence the most. He is just so good because he brings joy and hope out of sorrow and despair. As Thanksgiving approaches I am reminded that regardless of our circumstance in life, there is always something to thank God for. And today I am thanking Him for that.

I've been ruined...

...by a good book. I am a self-professed dork who has always loved to read. A little over a year ago I fell in love with the novel Evidence of Things Unseen by Mariann Wiggins, an old professor of mine. It is a beautifully written and epic love story, and no book that I've cracked since has compared. I've probably tried to read over fifteen books since that time, all of which I've gotten bored with and abandoned. I'm desperate for a good read, so if you have any suggestions please send them over :)

Living Between the Trees

I'm hanging out at my desk right now watching a Nooma video called "Trees." (Nooma is a ministry consisting of short films that was started by a pastor named Rob Bell a few years back. The videos are amazingly artistic, deeply moving and just all around cool, so check them out if you're not familiar with them. You won't regret it.). Anyway, "Trees" is all about how we live in a fallen time between the Garden of Eden (tree #1) and what's to come when Jesus comes back (tree #2), and how we can take part in planting trees of Paradise around the earth while we're here. The video covers so much about our world and what it means to truly live,. One part that really struck me was when Rob talked about the beauty that God so lovingly created and that he allows to exist in our fallen world -- laughter, music, nature, the list goes on and on and on. This reminded me of a quote I have been obsessed with lately (keep up with this blog and I'm sure you'll find that every week there seems to be a new quote that's my favorite). Frank Lloyd Wright once said that "the longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life." I'm not sure if Wright was a Christian, but I cannot help but think of how this quote speaks to Jesus and the beauty He brings. We live in a crazy world, but amid and even within the chaos, pain and destruction there is so much beauty that we miss because we're so consumed with all of the craziness. The longer we live, the more time we have to seek God and see the beauty he has blessed us with. So today I am looking beyond the craziness of the election, the economy and everything else in order to appreciate the little things in life, which are often the most beautiful.

Hello Blogland!

I'm a first time blogger so you'll have to bare with me. My journey with the youth team at St. John's began on Monday morning, and the past two days have been a whirlwind packed with bible studies, an incredible trip to Good Shepherd, Coffee Talk, devotions, and so much more. I am in awe as I look around realizing that my job is to hang out with amazing people talking about eternity and pointing each other to Jesus and His Word. I feel beyond blessed. So, as a way to say hello, I figured I should give a few facts about myself. While I am in no way an artist, I love admiring other people's art, whether it be in film, books, music, etc. I love it all. I majored in Creative Writing and minored in Film while at USC (fight on!), so while my friends were studying calculus and writing 20 page papers on quantitative theory (whatever that is), I was creating stories and watching movies. It was a college experience that I wouldn't trade in a million years. Ask my dad for a funny story about me and he will, without fail, tell you about when, as a child, I pinned my older, larger brother off of his feet and up against a wall because he called me a funny name. I have grown up with three brothers and two male cousins on my dad's side, so I know how to hold my own with the boys. I love to travel and some of my favorite memories are from my summers spent in Nicaragua and Spain on missions trips. I love fall, Christmas, crisp weather, snowboarding, playing board games, and those conversations where you walk away in awe of the heart and depth of the person with whom you were speaking. I could go on and on about my likes and passions, but I think I've bored you enough for the day. Blessings!