Our First Christmas

Here's the summary:

We can comfortably be categorized as 'less than wealthy,' to put it politely, so when it came time to decorate our house for Christmas we drew upon the most wonderful of resources - wedding gift cards. It only took a $50 card to wal-mart to establish the beginnings of our Christmas decor. Since our cottage has some personality even without decoration, it didn't take much to turn it into a festive Yuletide getaway. A bargain box of tree ornaments, some garland and lights for the mantle, and cinnamon scented pine cones helped make our first Christmas special.



Being 'less than wealthy,' we were forced to be creative and have fun rather than wallow in our lack of riches. One trip to Target proved most rewarding without spending a dime. Here were the rules: we had an imaginary budget of $100 to buy a gift or gifts for each other. Upon entering the store, we split up and rushed to (what we thought) were each other's favorite isle. We picked out what gifts we would purchase, then met at a neutral location. First, I took Whitney to the present I picked out for her...



It was a beautiful white vanity set that I knew she would love. Priced at $99.99, it was just within my hypothetical budget (tax didn't matter since we didn't purchase anything)! And she picked for me a great jacket that I loved plus the DVD set of Planet Earth! I love it! We each felt the joy of giving without feeling the pain of purchasing.




Christmas day was special for us. We were blessed to spend time with Whitney's family throughout the day. My parents and sister drove down to spend time with us a few days before Christmas which yielded wonderful quality time.

A list of favorite gifts:
2 Disneyland annual passes!!!
2 sets of fine China
5 disc Planet Earth DVD set (yessss!)
1 amazing Kerurig individual cup coffee maker
A plethora of gift cards

To be honest, I realized recently that no matter what the bank statement says we are not, by any means, poor. It is a worldly temptation to think of ourselves as poor, when in reality, by God's graciousness we have so much. How can we be poor with a family who loves us so much, and a loving, fun group of friends to experience life with? How can we be poor when there's food on our table and freshly brewed, delicious coffee in our mugs?

It is amazing to remember God's words to Abraham way back in Genesis 12 when He said "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Add to that Jesus' descending to earth to become flesh - the reason for this whole season - coming to die and redeem mankind to himself. God's love for his people and Jesus' perfect sacrifice can provide the richest blessing we can ever experience on earth - and I hope you have.

I hope that you too had a blessed Christmas.

Our Hearts Will Go On

Jon and I were extremely privileged to attend a once-in-a-lifetime concert. We saw Celine Dion at Staples Center in LA!

My grandpa pulled some strings and got us tickets to see Celine. Not only did our tickets come with a parking pass, but we sat in the Premier Seating section (eighth row)!

If you didn't know, I am one of Celine's biggest fans, so needless to say I was quite excited. Jon didn't seem as excited as I was about it beforehand, but he hasn't stopped talking about Celine since. With all of the wardrobe changes and the amazing back-up dancers and even Celine herself busting out a few moves, the night could not get much better. Basically, it is one of the best shows we've ever seen.
Here are some iphone pictures of the night. They are poor quality and make our seats look far away, but its deceiving...





This 38 year old "guy" in the row ahead of us knew every word to every song. At the beginning of most songs he would jump up in excitement and do interpretive movements while singing "his" heart out.

Gas

everyone needs a Vespa

Concerning Proposition 8

Opponents of Prop 8 are and will continue to protest the results of the state-wide decision made last week. Seeing pictures on TV of them picketing outside churches and temples, or (lets be honest) anywhere a camera will find them, sends mixed feeling within me.

I am trying to pinpoint those feelings...
First, I am annoyed. My selfishness wants to say, "Get over it, you lost. Life isn't fair. The majority of California opposes your scheme. I didn't get enough votes to win homecoming king, it happens." Having gotten that off my chest and actually seeing the words I think embarrasses me - not only because I remember not winning homecoming king in college, but because it reveals my deep, dark sinfulness.

Next, I am relieved. "We dodged a bullet," I think to myself. I can breathe a little easier (figuratively) since Nov 7th (allergies have had the opposite effect). All of those yard signs that were stolen were worth replacing. I am relieved; yet the truth is while we, the prop 8 'winners', sit back and revel in our victory, the prop 8 'losers' are gaining strength to fight on.

Watching the protesters on the news yesterday brought about a new feeling in me, however. After being relieved with the results then annoyed at the response, I actually felt sympathetic - a rare emotion on my part, and even more so when it comes to this issue. Not only were hopes crushed, but prop 8 opposers also feel segregated and unloved by at least 52.3% of our state (numerically thats 5,668,960 people). My desire for peace conflicts with my beliefs.

Instead of feeling victorious, I now realize that the future is daunting; not only as one who calls himself a Christian, but also as one who wishes to serve as a minister in California. One unfortunate result of prop 8 is the wedge driven further between the Church and homosexuals. From the entity all people should feel welcomed and loved by, many feel hated. That 52.3% might as well be called First Baptist Church as far as the homosexual community is concerned.


My response:
I will battle my feelings of victory. How can I call it a victory when more people than ever hate my Church and beliefs? Even straight prop 8 supporters have a bad taste of Christianity in their mouth.

I will not be ashamed of the Bible, and I will do my best to obey all of it. That includes (I believe) voting yes on prop 8 AND loving my neighbors just like I love myself.

I will not let my desire for peace outweigh my Biblical convictions. Although, it may serve me (and the Church) well to add some weight to the Peace side of the scale without removing any weight of Biblical conviction.

I will come to solid conclusions about issues using Scripture, prayer, and wise advice to prepare myself for my future in ministry.

I will try to respond with Christ-likeness.