She Did It!

I love my little sister for a million and one reasons.

She is caring and kind. She is thoughtful and she is generous. She is loyal and she is hard-working. She knows how to make me laugh, or put me in my place, or push me to be my best, or simply love me no matter what. She is a beautiful person, and a very strong woman. Two of the most admirable qualities to me about Abbie, however, are her perseverance and determination.

She does not give up.

Many people probably don’t know that when Abbie was in 5th grade, she had to write a report for school. A story about her life. Included was her family, her faith, her activities, and what she wanted to do with her future. In this report, Abbie said that she wanted to attend the University of Texas at Austin, and swim for them…one of the best programs in the country.

And she did!

She set her mind to her goal, and did not quit until it was achieved. I am so proud of Abbie! She has persevered through so much, she has never given up, and she has always followed her heart.

I can truly say that one of God’s greatest gifts to me has been Abbie, and I will never stop being amazed by her! She is such a role model to me, and though she is my younger sister, I look up to her so much.

I love you, Baby Bugs, and I cannot wait to see where you will go from here!! And I know no matter where it is, with your hard work and determination, you will go far!

Taking the Commercial Out of Christmas

I love Christmas, there is just no doubt.

Though it does not hold the honor of being my favorite holiday (that title belongs to The 4th of July), it does inspire and excite me.

I love decorating the Christmas tree, listening to the cheerful and familiar Christmas songs that seem to follow me throughout my day, everywhere I go. I love my mom’s homemade Christmas cookies, and Starbucks Christmas cups. I love hunting for the perfect gift for my husband, and I love how the brisk temperature matches the brisk pace that everyone seems to be moving at as they scurry from store to store. I love opening the mail to find Christmas cards from friends and family, and I love how every year, “It’s A Wonderful Life” becomes a little more potent, and relevant to my own life.

I love this season.

But, the older I have gotten, the more I have grown to appreciate all that lays behind the commercialized exterior of this holiday.
Yes, I have grown up learning about the birth of Christ and the significance of the Virgin Mary, the manger in which Jesus was placed, and the Shepherds and Wise Men who celebrated His birth. But something new has utterly struck me this year.

Christmas, obviously more than just gift exchanges and festive decorations, is about a beginning. The Beginning. The Birth of Christ. The start of His life among us.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” -Isaiah 9:6

The first Christmas, thousands of years ago, changed the whole world—changed my life—forever. Millions of people anticipate New Year’s every year as a way to make a resolution to live better. Whether their ambitions involve their weight, career, love life, or any number of checks off the “Bucket List” everyone can agree that it is a time to evaluate where you are, and where you want to be. But for me, this year, I am seeing Christmas in this way. My faith in God is like a breath of fresh air, every time I breath in—say a prayer, or pursue Him through reading the Bible--I feel refreshed, renewed. And that is what my sentiment is as Christmas approaches. The gift of Jesus, the tiny baby born in an unassuming barn, has given me hope. A fresh start.
So how am I to respond? How am I to take this opportunity, this gift, and begin again? I do not know what God has in store, or what my life may hold as I move forward, all I know is that He is faithful. And His Gift remains.

Taking the “commercial” out of Christmas has allowed me to open my eyes to the real gift that God has given. It has enabled me to really evaluate where I am at, where I want to be. I am not making any resolutions, as I am in the habit of dismissing those all too quickly, but rather, I am making a decision. To use this time to thank God for the gift of His Son, for the gift of Life. To seize this opportunity to live more fully in Him, and to be continually grateful for the grace that He has so abundantly given me.