Christmas Makes Me Cry

Christmas Makes Me Cry
By Mandisa

I think of loved ones who’ve passed away
And I pray they’re resting in a better place
I think of memories of years gone by
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry

I think of soldiers across the sea
Sometimes I wonder why it’s them instead of me
But for my freedom they give their lives
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry

Tears of faithfulness, tears of hope
I cry tears of joy at Christmas because I know
There is peace on earth for every heart to find
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry

I think of family, I think of home
And say a prayer for those who spend this time alone
‘Cause love can reach out into a silent night
And that’s why Christmas makes me cry

Tears of faithfulness, tears of hope
I cry tears of joy at Christmas because I know
There is peace on earth for every heart to find
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry

I think of Mary and the virgin birth
And I’m amazed by how much God thinks we are worth
That He would send His only Son to die
And sometimes Christmas makes me cry

Tears of faithfulness and tears of hope
I cry tears of joy at Christmas because I know
There is peace on earth for every heart to find
And sometimes Christmas makes me
Oh, sometimes Christmas makes me
Christmas makes me cry

I love this song. For me, Christmas is such an emotional time. I think of Misael, who gets very little for Christmas. I think of all the people in need. I've been blessed to be in charge of the Walmart tree this year, giving gifts to those that are less fortunate. I also pity myself, and wish that Christmas at my house could be like it used to be. Yet, somehow, Christmas makes me so happy. This time of year is so important for Christians. Not only because we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, but because we are even more of a witness to others this time of year. Look at the lyrics...think about the lyrics. What part speaks to you? What part makes you sad? Makes you happy? Let this song speak to you. Pray for those that spend this time alone. Do a good deed. Make someone smile. Open up. Pray. Be thankful for all you have. Smile often. Be a witness.

Thanksgiving

One of the most difficult things about going to Nicaragua wasn't actually going to Nicaragua..it was coming home. Coming home and seeing all that I have and all that I take for granted. Let me tell ya, taking away simple pleasures like a toilet changes a person! ;) But seriously, I remember the first time I went into a fast food restaurant back in the states...I broke into tears. Why? Because people in Nica don't have food at all...I can walk in, pick what I want off a menu of 100+ items, and have it within 5 minutes. In Nica, I saw kids digging through the trash for scraps...I saw them eating my leftovers. I was hurting. Walking into my 4-bedroom 2-bath house that me and my mother only live in hurt. It took me so much to be able to be thankful for what I had and not mad. When I came home (July) I had to wear jackets in the house because I wasn't used to air conditioning! Haha. That's another thing...I promised myself I would never say, "I'm hot" again. They don't have air. I do. So, I challenge you this Thanksgiving to go above and beyond. Don't just say "I'm thankful for family". Duh, we all are. But think about the little things that we take for granted. Like air conditioning, a toilet, toilet paper, food, etc. The people of Nica are the most thankful people I've ever met...and they don't have much to be thankful for!
Today, I am thankful for all the beautiful people I met in Nica that forever changed my life. They make me a better person every day. They have shown me my calling. I am especially thankful for Misael. Honestly, I hardly go a day without thinking about him. He's like my own kid...he makes everyday worth living because I know someday (hoping for this summer) we will be reunited again. Every morning when I wake up, his smiling face is the first thing I see. (His pic is my lock screen on my phone) I am so thankful for the things and people God has put in my life. What are you thankful for today?

Love

Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted. Its been a hectic couple of weeks! I do have a larger post or two that you should see in the near future!

A friend showed me this video and I thought it would be great to pass along. He is an example to us all of what real love is. Men:  learn from his example.

Click on "Watch the video!" and it should pop up in a new window!

Watch the video!

The Power of Prayer

Gandhi once said, "Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action."

Wow. That's all I can say. Couldn't have put it any better.

If you are at all familiar with Casting Crowns, you may have heard their song, "What If His People Prayed." That song is based off of 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

So, what is prayer? According to the dictionary, prayer is "a spiritual communication with God or an object of worship, as in thanksgiving, adoration, or confession."

James 5:13-16 says:
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call all the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

So what does that tell us? It tells us to pray. It seems simple, right? It says to rejoice in the good times, and pray in our times of need.
Who do you go to when you have a problem? A boyfriend/girlfriend? Youth leader? Parent? Friend? Why not go to God first? So much of the time we want a direct answer...we want the easy way out. He wants us to come to Him. Even if you aren't going to sit down and "discuss" your problems with Him, you can simply pray that whomever you are going to for advice gives you what you need. I know personally that I've never prayed for whomever I'm taking my problems to.

Prayer is something that I constantly struggle with in my faith walk. I always seem to forget. I don't force it to be a habit. I didn't grow up in a family that prayed before meals...or even together for that matter. I just always seem to forget to pray.
A few years back a youth leader gave me this idea and I do it whenever I feel like I'm hitting a dry patch when it comes to my prayer life.
I get a bracelet (it can be yarn tied around your arm) or a ring. Simple, eh? Every time I look at that bracelet or ring, I pray. I stop whatever I'm doing and sit in silent prayer. Even if its just for a second. Simple as that.

Blessings,

Faith

P.S.-I would love to hear your ideas. Your opinions on what I post or thoughts for upcoming posts. You are always welcome to comment on here, email me, send me a Facebook message, or text me. Your thoughts, opinions, and prayers are always welcome!

The Proof of Your Love

"The Proof Of Your Love"

If I sing but don't have love
I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with a silver tongue
Convince a crowd but don't have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

If I give To a needy soul but don't have love then who is poor?
It seems all the poverty is found in me

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
Oh, let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

When it's all said and done
When we sing our final song
Only love remains
Only love remains

Let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

This song, by For King & Country really spoke to me.

"If I give To a needy soul but don't have love then who is poor?
It seems all the poverty is found in me"

This song says that we can give to others all day long, but we are nothing if we don't have love. How humbling is that? It says that OUR life should prove His love. That is so true. WE are to live like him. WE are to show Him through our LOVE. 

This reminds me a lot of Nicaragua (yes, everything reminds me of Nica, I know...). Anyway, as many of you know, I fell in love with a kid named Misael. But he wasnt the only kid I fell in love with. There was a group that hung around me. Misael and Jairo being my favorites, plus some ADORABLE four-year-olds, and plenty more. Anyway, I stuck with them all week. I showed them LOVE. Most of the kids I hung around had great parents, not rich, but provided them with all they had. Even though these kids got love at home, they were so gracious of the love I gave them. Although this was a Christian-based mission trip, I didn't speak of Jesus much to the kids. They went to the children's church and learned, but I myself didn't do much teaching. One of the kids asked for a bible, and I found one for him, but thats about it. I just showed them love. On the last day, Misael wrote me a note, it said "I give thanks to God for bringing you here. I thank you for loving me, and I love you too. I hope we can meet again someday in this beautiful place." He learned about God...he saw God...not by be talking about it, but by me showing him God's love. 

We can change people's minds about God, not by pushing it down their throat, but by showing them God's unconditional love.

Perfection

While on my latest trip to Nicaragua, I got a quote from my prayer partner that has since stuck with me:

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone that will never be able to repay you."
-John Wooden

So, how many perfect days have you lived?
That quote is so deep for me. It reminds me that everyday I should be doing His will. Not just once a week, or on a mission trip. Everyday I should do something for someone. Something bold. Something courageous. Something humble. Something life-changing.
A perfect day isn't about wearing a cute outfit and having fun. Instead, its about doing something for someone else.

Blessings,
Faith

Hot Chocolate

I found this story and fell in love...

"A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.  During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.  Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.  While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.  In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups.  They are just tools to hold and contain life.  The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life  you have.  Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.  God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything.  They just make the best of everything that they have."


This story couldn't have put it any better. 

"But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from true faith and pierced themselves with true sorrow."

1 Timothy 5: 9-10