Merry Christmas!

This is going to be a super short post but...

I was inspired by Maggie to read Luke with the Christmas season and last night I read Luke 10:38-42 and thought about how it was such a reflection of all of the women in my family over Christmas-being busy with all of the cooking, decorating, shopping, etc. and esp. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then this morning on the Proverbs 31 email the verse of the day was:

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." Luke 10:40

If you read further Jesus tells Martha that she is worried by many things but in essence she only needs one thing that will never be taken away-Him.

So like everyone says-lets not forget the reason for the season, as corny as that sounds it's so true. He really is the gift that keeps on giving and He is the best gift we have ever received.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE! I am so thankful to have each of you in my life and am truly blessed for our friendship. I hope that all of y'all have a wonderful Christmas and I can't wait for Bible Study to start back up when we all get back in town.

Love love love,

august :)

TWO Babes in a Manger

Hey girls,

With one week until Christmas (yikes!) I wanted to share this story with y'all. Ann Hughston just forwarded it to me and it touched me. I'm not sure who wrote it or even if it's true but I know it has a good message.

Love y'all! xoxo-Adrienne

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics based on biblical principles in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby s blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy s manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately-until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad-lib.

He made up his own ending to the story as he said, And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I do not have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I could not because I did not have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift.

So I asked Jesus, If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift? And Jesus told me, If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me. So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him for always.

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him for always.

Matthew 28:20 . . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Typical Tuesday

Hi Friends!
It's me again, sitting in class with my sweet kids and well they are taking a Math test so I thought well i'll blog haha. I am so sad that I missed out on the wonderfulness of last night! I heard it was awesome, and well after talking to Melanie I decided I would blog my feelings about what Bible study has meant to me.
Last night I was reading Acts 20, and I don't know if you have read that or read it recently to remember that it is around the time where Paul is in the midst of sharing the good news or the gospel as we know it, and well he has been teaching people for years and then feels compelled to leave for Jerusalem. That was a brief synopsis but this is the verse that stood out to me, Acts 20:32
Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.
I'm not sure where this is taking me, but this verse stuck on me, Paul has been teaching these people and filling them with the good news, and now he has to leave, but he is not worried because he can turn it over to God, and he is leaving these people within a holy community that was created throughout those years.
So here is how I see it, College was like those years of Paul, we were exposed to the gospel like we had never been before, we grew as christians year by year, because of people like Adrienne who were willing to teach us and share with us. We continued to grow, and as many have already graduated, and the rest of us not far behind, we are being left or better yet we are leaving. We are leaving those years of Paul, but we are not to worry, because we have a community of friends. College has left us with this unshakable bond, that God is using to continue to teach us, and inspire us to share the good news with others. Such as this blog..... or our other friends.
It was a stretch but this is what I thought about after I read it like 30 times hahaha

Anyways this bible study has been amazing. It is a community that was created by and for God, and he is doing great things in it, and that is why for me leaving college is not that bad, because this is a community already established outside of college really. Whether we see it or not, we have moved on. We have moved on as Christians and as adults. It's very cool for me to think about, and very peaceful at the same time. I love how each of us brings something different to the table, we have encouragement, leadership, hopefulness, challenges, friendship, and most of all we have a yearning to grow. No matter where each of us is in our walk, any and all of us are open to learning something new or sharing something we know.
We have an understood trust where we can discuss anything and everything and we know that everyone in that room will still love us afterwards and not share anything outside or our community that doesn't need to be shared. We all respect each other for who they are, and we appreciate the gifts of each person.
I have never met such an amazing group of women who have so much to offer to this world, and are such an inspiration to me. I feel honored that once a week I get to meet with ya'll, but even more I'm honored that any day of the week I can call any of you a friend.

I have gone on and on again, but I think you understand a little of what this has meant to me. I miss everyone lots and lots!!! I can't wait to see ya again!
Have a great day!
Love
Caroline

The Reason for the Season

The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. God loves you so much that he came to earth as a human so you could get to know him and learn to trust him and love him back. Theologians call this the Incarnation. God became one of us, a human being, so we could understand what he is really like.

One potential problem of our annual Christmas celebrations is that many people only think of Jesus as a baby! Their conception of him is only as a helpless newborn in his mother's arms. If Jesus had never grown up to do what he did, he'd have no power to transform our lives.

But the baby born in Bethlehem did not stay a baby. Jesus grew to manhood, modeled for us the kind of life that pleases God, taught us the truth, paid for every sin we commit by dying on a cross, then proved that he was God and could save us by coming back to life. This is the Good News. When the Romans nailed Jesus to a cross, they stretched his arms as wide as they could. With his arms wide open, Jesus was physically demonstrating, "I love you this much! I love you so much it hurts! I'd rather die than live without you!" The next time you see a picture or statue of Jesus with outstretched arms on the cross, remember, he is saying, "I love you this much!"

-Rick Warren

Above is an excerpt from Rick Warrens, Purpose for Christmas. As I was sitting at my house today enjoying all the joys that come from spending a day at home, I was thinking about what Christmas means in my family. As this book talks about and as many families today exist to think about what the meaning of Christmas is, it usually has nothing to do with Jesus, or what he did for us, or why we celebrate Christmas. My dad always makes a point around Christmas to say something along the lines, "let us not forget this is a season of giving". And he is right, it is a season of giving and my dad is one of the most generous selfless givers I know, so without hesitation he embraces this season, much like I do. He loves the decorating, the music, the presents, all the christmas paraphernalia- he wore a tree tie to church. But yet we are still missing that key ingredient.

This excerpt from Warrens book, paints that picture of Jesus on the cross with his arms stretched out wide, saying I love you this much. Remember that book with the bunny, called I love you this much, and you stretch out your arms when you read it to kids. I don't know if anyone ever had that book read to them, or have ever read it to anyone. My grandmother used to read it to me, and I have read it to the boys a few times, but it never fails you always stretch out your arms as far as you can when you read it as if to encompass all of your love for that person in the space between your arms. That's what I picture Jesus doing, encompassing all the love and all the hurt in his arms.

I am not sure how I ended up where I did, but simple fact is the reason for the season is God's love for you.

Faith Hill says in that precious song, "Where are you Christmas?, If you have love in your heart and your mind, then you will have Christmas all the time." She is right too. It's like my dream come true, Christmas all the time, but it's true. Christmas is a celebration of God's love, a celebration that we live out and see everyday, but it's a celebration for that! The stores, the music, the ads, the presents, the tree, thats all for our pure enjoyment, and yet we let it cause us so much stress and it fills the void for those that don't know God's love.

My family put Christmas in a box, packed it up last year, dusted it off today, and unpacked it, but we all know thats not how it should be. Because even after we unpacked it, things were the same as they were when it was in the box. So clearly that is not the answer....

You can't put Christmas in a box, or capture love in the space between your arms, but you can share God's love and the Christmas spirit.

So with love in your heart and in your mind today, share the christmas spirit with whomever you come in contact with today and the next day...and enjoy the beauty of this holiday!!

I love the Christmas season but I love each of you more and well you all know how much I love the season!

Just little elf me sending you some Christmas spirit!

Love Caroline

I love when my devotional boo-yah's me!

Hey girls! I thought I would share my morning devotional from my Beth Moore "Breaking Free Day by Day." I have been struggling lately with strongholds consistently wearing on me, and working through how to get past them....I know we all struggle with strongholds, and I thought that this was a good pick me up and inspirational thing to always remember and have faith in.

"Yet God drags away the mighty by His power; when He rises up, they have no assurance of life." -Job 24:22

We have an uncanny way of rationalizing the strongholds that possess us, the ones we allow to continue in our lives. You've had them. I've had them. But never forget that Satan persists wherever a stronghold exists. He always supplies an endless list of rationalizations for the things we do and refuse to do.

Can you think of a rationalization or excuse that no longer has power over you? If so, never forget that the same God who came to your aid before will come to your aid again! You may feel like your present obstacles are larger, but I assure you, God doesn't. He is all-powerful!

I love this so so much, and it is so important for us to remember what we talked about last night---we need to remember to believe the impossible every single day and pray expectantly. God truly can do the impossible, and we can do all things through Christ that gives us strength!

I love yall so much and you have blessed my life more than you will ever know! -Mags :)

A Gentle Reminder of Beauty and Romance

Ok so this is going to be long I think, but I read this in a little book by Stasi Eldredge, and well she does such a wonderful job of talking about our desires and our beauty, and well I just want to remind all of you, because I find myself needing to be reminded, I mean it is why we watch fairy tales, chick-flicks, and read romantic stories....because we need to be reminded. Then after he has called us to be romanced by him, then and only then can he lead us down the path of our calling, to our role, and to our need. I think that she writes this beautifully.

Every song you love, every memory you cherish, every moment that has moved you to holy tears, all have been given to you from the one who has been pursuing you from your first breath in order to win your heart. God's version of flowers and chocolates and candlelight dinners comes in the form of sunsets and falling stars, moonlight on lakes and cricket symphonies, warm wind, swaying trees, lush gardens and fierce devotion.

This is immensely personal. God's romantic gifts will be specifically for your heart. He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster. We have missed many of his love notes simply because we shut down our hearts in order to endure the pain of life. Now, in our healing journey as women, we must open our hearts again and keep them open. Not foolishly, not to anyone and anything. But yes, we must choose to open our hearts again so that we might hear his whispers.

Reading George MacDonald several years ago I came across an astounding thought. You've probably heard that in every human heart there is a a place that God alone can fill. (Lord knows we've tried to fill it with everything else to our utter dismay). But the old poet was saying that there is also in God's heart a place that you alone can fill. "It follows that there is also a chamber in God himself, into which non can enter but the one, the individual." You. You are meant to fill a place in the heart of God that no one and nothing else can fill.

Some of us are called to the mission field overseas. Some of us are called to the marketplace here. Some will be nurses, doctors, mothers, midwives, counselors, artists, interior decorators, engineers, lawyers, poets...you name it! But each one of us is called to become an ezer--a life-offering, lifesaving woman--who lives in her unique calling and offers her glory to the world and for the glory of God. A life that flows out of our intimacy with Jesus.

You have a role to play. You have a high and holy calling.

Whether it is holding the hand of kindergartners as they begin their journeys into school or holding the hands of the elderly. You have a vital role to play. As a a woman.

Life is holy. Every moment. God is present in your car as he is in the sanctuary. He is busy about his kingdom work in your church as he is in your office. Whether you're in the worship service or in the line at the grocery store, it matters. The mountaintops as well as the mundane. It is in the everyday tasks, the miniscule decisions, the unseen actions and the millions of choices that are ours to make every single day that the Kingdom of God advances or retreats. It all matters.

Whatever your particular calling, you are meant to grace the world with your dance, to follow the lead of Jesus wherever he guides you. He will lead you first into himself, and from that intimacy he will lead you into the world that he loves and came to save. He needs you. We need you.

And lastly for you to love with an awakened heart and play the role that is yours to play, for you to live intimacy with Jesus, you must take care of your heart. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life!

This is from a book called Your Captivating Heart by Stasi Eldredge, which I believe is a version of Captivating. Regardless it spoke to me, and well it never hurts to be reminded of the beautiful romance of life we live out daily.

I love you all!

Caro