365-what did you do?

Happy Thing of the Day: New Year's EVE!!


Tonight, the whole world will countdown to midnight in their respective cities, states, and countries.  The ball will drop and a brand new year will begin.  Naturally, today people will not only be looking forward to the new year, but also at the year that has passed.  What did you do with your last 365 days of life?

Here's a look at the resolutions I made last year:

Lose weight

Get straight A's

Get organized

Save money

Keep the house clean

Join a Bible study

Here's what my year actually looked like:

Started an extended break from college

(my freshman year at UW)

Started this blog

Found an amazing job (which came with a lot less financial stress)

Wade found a new job (again, less financial stress)

(Wade's Christmas Work Party)

Got engaged and started planning my wedding!

Wade and I got a new truck

Found out I'm going to be an AUNT!

Watched two of our best friends say "I DO"

Celebrated my Grandparents' 50th anniversary

Lost my childhood puppy.

I may not have fulfilled all of my "resolutions" from last year, but my year was amazing regardless.  God works in incredible ways.  He changed my whole outlook on my world, made me a stronger Christian, and my life has changed so much for the better because of that.

My year was filled with Love! My year was filled with Joy! My year ended with me finding the hope, which was what this journey was all about! But it's not over yet.  Here's to 2014, and all the fun it will bring!

Christmas Traditions #2 & 3

Happy Thing of the Day: Christmas Decorating Fun!

For my 2nd/3rd tradition, I chose Advent, so we're getting two out of the way today.  This is less a "tradition" as it is just a part of the Christian celebration of Christmas.  Advent marks, in most cases, the beginning of the church calendar in Western society, as well as the beginning of Christmas.  It is the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, in which we do many different things!  I will grant to you non-believers that Advent started as a secular event, it is not anymore, it was adapted my German Lutherans, and it is how we celebrate the coming of our Lord.  

The Advent Calendar


Everyone has seen them around.  Some are the little cardboard ones where you open a little door and you either see a picture, get a piece of candy, something like that.  Growing up we had a little tree that spun around.  It stood on this "wood" platform, similar to the one on the left, with 25 drawers on it, and each drawer had a little ornament to put on the tree, the 25th one was a little baby Jesus in a manger.  It is in all reality a countdown to Christmas.  It is also a time of reflection.  Some advent calendars have scripture on them, you get a new verse to reflect on each day.  It is a time to remember the gift that God gave us, and the joy He would bring.

The Advent Wreath.

This may be my favorite part of church during Christmas.  The wreath has 5 candles, 4 of which represent the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, and one in the middle, which is the Christ candle.  I remember this part vividly from church- we use a wreath to remember that God's love, like the wreath, has no beginning and no end, it is eternal and lasting.  It also symbolizes everlasting life in Christ.  That through the coming of the Lord, and later His death and resurrection at Easter, that we may have eternal life through Christ. 

1. The Hope Candle: Isaiah 2:2-4, Jeremiah 33:14-16

This is kind of the promise candle.  The coming of the Lord was foretold and has happened, we were given hope by our Creator that He would send us a Messiah, His one and only son, the greatest gift of all, so that we may be saved in Him.  Generally at my church we sing O Come Emmanuel on the first Sunday of Advent, the coming of the Lord is upon us, rejoice!

2. The Peace Candle: Isaiah 11:1-10, Luke 1:76-79, 1Thessalonians 5:19-23

The candle of peace is to remind us of the peace that comes from Jesus Christ.  When we let Jesus enter our lives and let Him take control, we experience a profound amount of peace with that Faith.  A good song to go with this is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.  

3. The Joy Candle: Isaiah 35:1-10, Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-5,  Luke 1:26-3 

The Joy candle is to remind us to rejoice! Our Savoir has been born!  The Angles rejoiced, the shepherds came from far and wide to see the new born King.  This is a joyful time in our lives, we need to remember that. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing is

4. The Love Candle: Isaiah 7:10-14,  Luke 2:1-7, Luke 1:39, 45-56 and 1 John 4:7-12

The Love candle is a pretty obvious one.  It is to remind us of the Love of our Lord, Jesus, who came on Christmas day to save us all.  Our Messiah has finally come, and He is the greatest gift of love we could ever receive.  A sinless man is going to die for the sins of everyone.  God gave His one and only son, for us. How incredible is that?!  

5. The Christ Candle: Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 9:2-7,  Luke 2:1-20

We light the Christ candle to represent that Jesus has come, our Savior has been born, our Messiah is here! Jesus said "I am the light of the world". We light this candle to represent Jesus being the light of the world, the bright star that shown in the sky to guide the shepherds and kings to see Jesus, He who was foretold has come! Let's sing some Silent Night now! Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come!

(you can find these verses on many resources related to advent, we usually read most of these in my church as well!)