Tis the season...

I cannot believe Chirstmas is less than a week away. I feel like I just moved here. I guess when I got here I kind of hit the ground running with my job and haven't really had a chance to stop. Since I have been here has been a constant learning experience as well, not just at work, but in life. I will say that this job isn't exactly what I thought, but I have grown so much from it.

With all the giving we have been doing this last week it has really made me reevaluate my view of Christmas and giving. Some of the families were so grateful for what we gave, and others greedy for more and not thankful for what they received. I love getting people things for Christmas and know that they will appreciate whatever I get them, but I now know why so many people stress the reason for the season. I can see how so many people can overlook what its all about, not present, but Christ's birth! We are so lucky to have him come and live as a perfect example for us and die to take our sins. But we seem to put getting present as more important, when really we need to be celebrating that amazing gift we were given from our Heavenly Father.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

I don't know about you, but I am so lucky to have a God that would send his son, I don't thing even the biggest and best present can top that!

We would love your support

So I know you see the bell ringers all around your area and I bet you wonder what all that money is going to. Well, working with the Salvation Army I now get to see where it goes. All the money you put in goes into keeping each Corps open, your donation helps up serve our area and in turn help the people here. So, if you feel in your heart to give, you can do so online! Just click the above kettle and provide your support!!

Choosing Joy

Last Sunday God really taught me a lesson, not only did He show me I had a complaining attitude, He also reminded me I need to choose joy when situations arise.

It all started when I was waiting for church to start, I had gotten to the church and was mad that people were there early because they forgot to set their clocks back and that I was going to have to sing alone songs that I barely knew (even though I had picked them out). Then, a friend of mine sent me a text that said "Happy Sunday" and I replied back complaining about how bad my Sunday had started out and as I sent that text, God reminded me how much I had been complaining lately. So I grabbed some coffee and went out to the front steps and started to pray and God was really laying on my heart that I needed to start choosing joy and stop complaining, life is not going to change from me complaining all the time. When church starts I go up to sing and I feel like I blew it, but I didn't care, I sang for God while I was up there and that is all that matters. Then Captain starts his message and talks about the man with leprosy and how even though we don't have the physical leprosy, we all have a form of it ourselves- boom, again, mine being complaining. The message was just what I needed to hear. After the service I went up to Captain and first of all thanked him for the great message and told him I was sorry for my attitude at work. My co-workers did not need to here the complaining I was doing.

Then today, the day started out great, but when I got home from work I just got really frustrated and had to leave my house, I went over to a friends house and hung out for a bit, then I left and went for a ride and got to talk to my friend about a topic that is on both our hearts lately (love, relationships, and being lonely) and from that got me thinking about it with the chain of events after work and me thinking about this topic we were just talking about brought my spirits down. It was then time to head off to bible study, I ended up getting there a little early, so I was flipping through my bible and came across these verses
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."- James 1:2-8

Man that verse hit me, again reminding me when I get down about something or when I am going through trials that I need to choose joy (another reminder) and that I need to preserver through it. I am so blessed to have a God who loves me so much that the devil is trying his hardest get in, but God always brings it back.

I just have to give all my anxieties to God and trust that He is taking care of it in HIS TIME, not ours and through that we can choose joy!

God's beauty

So I can't help but love the fall. I definitely think it is my favorite time of year. The colors changing on the trees, the beauty of the mountain side covered in reds, yellows, and oranges. I don't know how someone couldn't see God's beauty in this season.

I feel like so often I take things that God has blessed us with for granted because we expect them instead of thanking Him for it. Like: the seasons, the stars, the diversity of His people, the talents he has given each of us, and much more.

God created all of these things for us and I know, personally, I need to be reminded every once and a while and put myself in check to not try and take each blessing and beautiful creation God has given us for granted, but to thank Him daily for blessing us with it!

When I think of His beauty, I was reminded of a song that we sang during our nursing home visit, How Great Thou Art. While I was singing it and after singing it the first two verses were so powerful and so fitting for the season:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

It is such a great song and it was such a great reminder to thank God for all he has given us!

New Family

So I have been here in Monessen for about 2 months now and have really been blessed with a great support system here. Today I have come to realize how lucky I am, I know I have felt alone in a lot of things, but looking back, I would be worse off without all of these people here.

My roommates are so great and so friendly, I love watching movies and just the discussions we have are great. Amanda, my bosses wife has been there for me to vent and we are a lot alike, so it helps having her around. The teens and kids I work with are great, they keep me going on Tuesdays and Thursday. A newer person that has been a blessing is Amy, she is the new office assistant here at work and she is so amazing, she feels the same frustrations I do and we get each other with that. Today as she was leaving she offered to get me dinner because she knew I would be here until bible study was done, it was so great to know she cares that much. The new GW interns are great too, we have hung out quite a bit the last week and they have been keeping me sane, I love hanging out with people, especially my age and that have the same interests as me, I am so blessed to have them around. My friend Ryan has been a good friend too, him and his wife are great people to hang out with and really challenge me in my faith.

I know Satan has really been attacking me this past month, but I am not allowing him to do that any more. I am way to blessed to let him drag me down. God is really showing me this week, now that I have had time to slow down and really take it all in, that I am truly blessed to be able to come back here and that I can't let Satan get to me like he has been. God is so good and I thank Him for getting me through this tough time and showing me all the new "family" he has blessed me with here in Monessen.

Unsure

So I haven't written in a while because I feel like I need to write positive things and I haven't had much of that lately. I know a lot of it is Satan trying to break me down, but it's working. I am feeling really alone here. I don't have friends here that I hang out regularly and I hate that. I am a people person and don't get me wrong, the people from work/church are great and the kids in my youth group are great, but I need more interaction with people my age and I don't have many friends that age. One of my friends just moved away to do this amazing year of missions and my other friend works a lot and has a lot of other friends, so we never really hang out. It is hitting me hard lately. I am trying to be honest and let people know how I am feeling, but I don't want my boss to know and have him get worried, so I am trying to keep it on the DL, but I feel like it could start effecting my work, I hope not, but the reality is that it might.

I know that I am here serving God and that I am suppose to be here, but I felt so different here last year and hope that this is really what I am suppose to be doing by myself. I know that here I get to serve and help a lot of people and hopefully act like Jesus and humbly serve people here, but because I am doing it alone (which is my fault for having no accountability) Satan is attacking big time and I don't know what to do about it.

I just ask that if you are reading this that you pray for me to stay strong and know that God will get me through this. I really need some help right now....

My "new" life

So last week I started my new job as a "real" person. I cannot believe that I am done with college and am living on my own.

I moved back to Monessen last Monday and have been on the go ever since. It is so nice to coming back to a place that I am familiar with and have connections with already. It is kind of a nice transition though, I live with four other girls who are all going to the college here. I still feel like I am living in that college lifestyle while I am home, but a working woman lifestyle while I am running around for work.

I had the day off yesterday and got to have lunch with a good friend of mine from around here and we were just talking about life and what a Christian looks like now, compared to a few years ago and how that is changing. I agree that there is a change going on. Personally I live by verse in Micah.
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
- Micah 6:8
God simply asks us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. I feel that this is exactly what Jesus did and if we are to strive to be like Jesus we should follow this verse.

I have also been learning a lot about Grace and how we recieve it and give it. It is hard to recieve it sometimes, but when we can finally do that, it is so much easier to give it to people.
You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with
grace, since God has blessed you forever.
-Psalm 45:2