music monday: merry christmas everyone by rend collective

Happy December. Happy last month of the year. Happy almost Christmas and New Year. Oh happy day. This month commemorates the first year of our little man and we are excited to celebrate that, along with the birth of Jesus, of course.

The weekend after Thanksgiving we start hanging Christmas decorations and put up the tree. We drink warm apple cider and eat yummy, homemade sugar cookies and listen to Christmas music. Just a simple tradition but one that we love none the less. This year Rend Collective came out with their own Christmas album, which is fabulous and perfect for Christmas decorating dance parties.

This song, Merry Christmas Everyone, is so fun. How can you not get in the Christmas mood and spread some cheer? Have a listen.

Time for parties and celebration. And people dancing all night long.

Christmas is fun, right? But what about Christianity? When you hear the word Christianity do you think fun? When you think of the savior of the world coming down, living with man and dying for the sins of humanity? For you. For me. Does that convey fun? Is following Jesus fun to you?

When you move out of hearing the word of God to living it out and doing it (James 1:22), the party starts. Comfort zones start to lessen. Random conversations with strangers begin and Jesus fills the time. The adventure begins. And the fun. The fun of sharing life altering news with others you never dreamed of sharing with. And doing things you never thought were possible. New experiences are sure to abound.

In Acts, after being persecuted for believing in Jesus, Peter and John rejoiced for being found worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). They are rejoicing because of persecution. Fun? Definitely not to my standards.

But they were excited to be found worthy to suffer for Jesus.

They understood the extent of what Jesus did for them and they were able to rejoice accordingly.

In Mark Batterson's book, Wild Goose Chase, he talks about how ancient Celtics referred to following the holy spirit as just that - a wild goose chase. You cannot fathom the direction it will go. Just where it will turn. What terrain it will run to. Where it will lead you is an unknown. When you follow the holy spirit, you will be lead to places you cannot imagine. You will have unexpected conversations and friends you never thought possible. Healing that nothing can compare to. And you will find yourself having fun along the way.

Praying that among the shopping and wrapping and baking and embracing our Emmanuel, Christ with us, that you have fun. That you would enjoy the ability to purchase items for loved ones and have fun. That it would not be burdensome or out of obligation but of loved. 

Praying that you see the fun and joy in Christ and that your spectrum would be broadened this season to see God with an increasing clarity.

Here's to fun and Christmas and Christianity. 

music monday: the stand by hillsong

Learning to stand. Watching a baby learn to stand is exciting and terrifying at the same time. Jude, and his nearly eight month old self, is just about at this point right now. With standing coming, more challenges arise as do the things to get in to. And more ways to attempt to baby proof. Then there is the ever impending fall.

In Matthew, Jesus heals a possessed man. The evil spirits leave him and go in to nearby pigs, which end up jumping off a cliff and drowning in the water below. The man was healed. Pigs were killed. After this happens scripture says:

The whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. Matthew 8:34

The whole town just witnessed a miracle. They met the promised Messiah, yet they pleaded with him to leave. There was no thanking him for healing the man or asking for further teaching or even another miracle. Just a request to leave. The town did now want Jesus among them. They did not care about the healed man. Luke's account of this story goes a bit further stating they wanted him to leave "because they were overcome with fear" (Luke 8:37).

Believing in Jesus can come with a certain amount of fear. What will people think when you start talking about believing in Jesus? What will you have to do? What do you have to give up? What rules do you have to follow? Are you really forgiven? What does this Christianity thing look like?

When everything boils down, Christianity looks like people. It looks like people coming along side one another showing them how to stand. How to stand in the gap for each other and with each other. How to love each other as Jesus taught. How to stand up for what Jesus taught and the things he stood for.

It looks like doing to others as you would have them do to you (Matt 7:12). It looks like you falling and your community being there to catch you when you lose your footing. It looks like them helping you up and showing you where the solid ground is and loving you where you are at. It looks like grace and love and mercy wrapped in a congregation on a Sunday morning. 

I pray that if you have not taken a stand in your faith, that you would ask God to guide you to. To give you the courageousness needed to take the next step. That fear would not have a hold on you but you would cling to hope. I pray you would find a community of believers that you will allow yourself to be just that, yourself - complete with all your messiness and love.

I pray that if you have your community established that you would be in prayer for God to open your eyes for others who do not yet have it. That you would see who God has placed by you, just for the purpose of you coming along side them. That you would give encouragement and answer questions and help build some footing in Christ. 

I think The Stand by Hillsong is fabulous and a great standing anthem. Have a listen. 

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the one who gave it all. I'll stand my soul Lord to you surrendered all I am is yours. 

Here's to standing firm in Christ and in the gap for others. Here's to community and the love and fun that it entails. 

Music Monday: Simple Life by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Simple. That is a word that I have been struggling with the past few months. I have read a few books and such about it. The definition is straightforward enough: easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. But the implementing of it that is the hard part and is difficult. I truly believe that less is more. Less clothes in the closet. Less toys on the shelf. Less to maintain and clean up. Less laundry to fold and less time spending picking out an outfit. Now that is a win-win. Getting there however is not as easy.

The past few months I have been working on what this will look like in my household and lifestyle. Going through things I no longer use and passing them on to some who can. Trying to be intentional with the items that I do have and that get brought in to our home. Being on a tight budget helps, too. It keeps random impulse buys at bay and therefore less messes and clutter.

This song by Keith and Kristyn Getty Has been in my head a lot lately, especially when I am tending our little garden. Really simple living. Getting to the roots of material possessions and focusing on more important things. Generations before us did not have the access to as many items as we have so readily available via Amazon with free shipping. And ready to wear clothes were not so ready, so closets were smaller and I am sure getting dressed was a breeze. Dress A. Dress B. Or dress C. In our consumerism driven culture it is hard to imagine having so little options. 

When Penny was born, we were blessed with an abundance of clothing for her. Her first year of life she hardly wore an outfit twice. And if she did it was one I really liked. The amount of options were overwhelming. I cannot blame Ricardo for never knowing what to pick out for her and which shirt went with which skirt and headband. Too many options. Too much space. Too much stuff. When someone says a teeny baby takes up space, it is no joke. That is if you let it.

This past December when our little man was born, I was determined not to have the same clothes frenzy. We were blessed this time with bunches of second hand clothing from friends whose little boys had out grown them. I kept my favorites and passed the others along to other mama's who were looking for clothes for their babes. What good is a bin full of clothes with a only a few items that baby is actually going to wear?

I don't mind him wearing the same outfit a few times. Perhaps even in the same week. Wearing the same outfit in our culture has such a negative connotation to it.

She doesn't have enough money to shop for more. Poor thing. She wore that dress the other day! Who does that? She really needs to get another sweater.

Having gone to school for fashion I know too well how often and common these thoughts are said out loud. I am guilty of the same in the past. Thankful for grace! Who wants to be judged because of what we wear?! 

Scripture says:

"your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:3-4). 

So beautifully worded. I could go on and on about simple living. It's something God keeps teaching me and showing me how to and directing my focus to areas that need help. I am still horrible at it but I'm a work in progress. Praying God uses this song to touch your life in a simple way that only He can. Enjoy!

Here's to fewer items and more space. Less time focusing on what you need and more thankfulness for what you have. 

And a little 8x10 of the lyrics to inspire you to live a little simpler =) Click image to download.

music monday:strangely dim by francesca battistelli

In our modern culture we rush around with phrases like "I am so busy" and "I don't have time," as if we actually are in charge of our short existence on this planet. Everything starts getting complicated from there. Which school to send your child to. Which car will work for your family. Which neighborhood will suit your life style. Which church will meet your needs. The list goes on and on and time is invested in each situation and each decision.

Do not get me wrong, it is wise to consider different factors and weigh out the odds but at the end of the day, if you are truly loving God with all you have, these things fall into place. The decisions unfold and God makes away, even when it seems like it is not possible. If you have spent your time worrying about which house to purchase or focusing on the minute details of the car in question to purchase, you are losing precious time that could have been spent elsewhere. Playing with your toddler. Hanging out with a friend who needs encouragement. Calling your mama. Studying your bible. Maybe even memorizing a verse to help you defer the thoughts.

I recently saw a horrible car crash on the way home. A car flipped and the driver was stuck inside with a police officer standing in front, possibly talking to him. I have no idea if he was okay or not.

The ambulance had not yet arrived on the scene.

 It was at an intersection I frequent almost daily. A crash has never bothered me so much. Prayers are always said in the passing but this time it seemed heavier as we drove past the cars and police and people. Perhaps it was the location. Maybe just a reminder. He could have been on his way home from the store grabbing groceries for dinner or on his way to visit a friend and then crash. I pray he is okay. In a moment everything can change. 

It's funny how simple life really is, yet so sad how much we complicate it. The bible says to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). And there it is. The essence of life summed up in two sentences. Sounds so simple. 

Our days are numbered and our days are so short! Focusing on God allows us to use our time wisely and not worry about the unknown. It keeps our eyes focused on His purpose and

His 

p

l

ans

.

More of Him and less of us and suddenly the things of this world will grow strangely dim and perhaps your busyness will subside, too.

This song by 

Francesca Battistelli sums it up perfectly. Have a listen. 

Perhaps this 8x10 printable of a few of the lyrics will help you keep life in perspective.Click picture to download.