Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Hello Friends,
     Greetings to you all again!!!   In regards to the day I got to spend in Chicago a few weekends ago, it was a great time, and I very much enjoyed hanging out with Katelyn, Jonathan, and Kayley.  I'm really glad that I didn't have to walk through Chicago by myself that night, so I'm extremely thankful for my friends being there for me.  I can't wait to see all of my camp friends around New Years!!!!                                               So I pray that everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday and an equally good time of of school and work.   I write today in the spirit of preparing for the season of Christmas, the season of Advent.  Advent is a time when we look to remember just what God gave to us on that Christmas night!  In the society we live in today, it becomes so easy to forget that Jesus is the true reason for the our celebration of Christmas.  We tend to get so caught up in the gift purchasing, holiday decorating, Christmas card writing, and visiting relatives and friends, that we forget what's most important. As we draw closer to the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I implore us all to reflect upon what God has given us during this season of Advent.  Today at my home church, our pastor talked about how our the hope that God gave us through Jesus Christ is a revolutionary hope that only He can grant to us.  There are many things in this world that we can place our hope in, but the bottom line is that all the things that this world has to offer will eventually let us down, be it a family member, a friend, money, possessions, or the way we live our lives.  There is only one thing that will never let us down, and that is the hope that we are given through the death of our Savior Jesus Christ.  We are called to place all of our hope in Him, and in Him, we will not be let down, as the end result of our hope will be everlasting life with Him.  In Christ,
Amen

Hebrews 6:13-15, 19-20
     When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, " I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."  And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised...  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

Last Weekend in Michigan

Hello again readers,  I trust that you had a good last week, cause I certainly did!  The week of classes went well, culminating with a Modern Japan exam, which I felt I did well on.  Then I got to spend the weekend in Michigan with my new friend Kayley, who invited me to a MMA fight.  I had a nice train ride from Harvard to Chicago, and then I met Kayley at the station, and she rode with me from Millennium Station to a station in Indiana, then drove me to her house in Michigan.  We arrived at her house around 8:00 and then we just sat in their living room for the rest of the night watching Wipeout along with Katelyn and the other two sisters, Kim and Kelly.  It was funny to watch some of the people just stand around and do nothing until they made a move when it was too late and got taken out in a hilarious fashion.  Then on Saturday I got some stuff done with my American founding paper, and then we ate at a nice little diner called Jan's with Katelyn before she went to work.  Then we rented the movie Children of the Corn to watch after the fights.  Then we just relaxed at the house until we had to leave.  Then we hung out at a Christian Caffe called Disciples Gathering, and got smoothies and played a game of chess before we left for the fights.  I got to meet some of Kaley's friends, which was nice.  Then we went to the fights.  The first four were over in the first round.  It was pretty cool, cause a guy named Tyler won his fight!  The fights after the first intermission were a lot better, one fight even went three rounds, it was really good.  We should have stayed later, because apparently the girl's fight was the best one of the night,  but that was okay because Children of the Corn was pretty good.  Despite all of the bad reviews, I thought it was a decent horror film, with quite a few jump scenes and a bunch of funny parts, especially a guy that looked like an ugly Ron Weasly.  I'll post more tomorrow about the day at Chicago.

Galatians 5:16-18  "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law."

Praising God in the Midst of the Storms of Life

Just thirty minutes ago, I was told something by a close friend that broke a piece of my heart.  It will not be easy to get over this sudden change in my life, but I know that with God and all of my friends and family behind me, I will be able to come to terms with this.  It has been a while since I have had something like this happen to me, for the most part I haven't had to deal with major emotional issues.  But I have just lost something that has been one of the best parts of my life for the past four years.  Right now, I'm not sure how I'll be able to move on, but my faith in the power of Jesus in my life will see me through this difficult time of accepting what has happened as being God's will, even if I do not agree with the decision that was made.  It becomes so easy to blame those who are responsible for the decision, but what God requires of his people is obedience to His word and to His will, in both the good and the bad.  So to my friends to whom this directly applies to, I just want to let you know that I'm in as much pain as you all are, but this is the time for all of us to draw closer to each other in the name of Jesus, and we will all make it through this difficult time.  As the song by Casting Crowns says, "You never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm."  This is my prayer for all of my friends who are hurting right now, that the power and grace of Jesus Christ be with you all, and that the Spirit of contentment and peace come to rest in your hearts.  While we will all cry and wonder why, help us to be able to understand that You are the one in control, and that nothing on this earth happens outside of your control.   In your Name,
Amen

Psalm 49:5-20
Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me-those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?  No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-that he should live on forever and not see decay.  For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.  Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.  But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish.  This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.  Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them.  The upright will rule over them in the morning, their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.  But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.  DO not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.  Though while he lived he counted himself blessed-and men praise you when you prosper, he will join the generations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life.  A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.