Merry Christmas

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

I love the Christmas story. I think it has always been one of my favorite parts of the scriptures. The account of the sheperds herding their sheep, struck and terrified when the ultimate glory of angels appeared to them bringing the glorious news of the arrival of the Christ child. To think that the creator of heaven and earth, Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim, the great I AM, who is and was and is to come, humbled himself and came as we all do, in the body of a weak and fragile baby. 

I don't think people understand what it would be for divinity and eternity to place themselves in the body of sin and mortality. We are not divine therefore our understanding of it is limited. But it is one of the most beautiful acts, the beginning of the abolishment of sin. Before Christ could sacrifice himself, he needed to be born in human flesh. With skin that felt cold, that brought pain and cries of hunger. I am sure he was unlike a normal child, one without fear of the world he came to save. But he felt as we felt. That is a glorious understanding.

Jesus was most likely not born in december let alone on the 25th exactly. The Christmas holiday was adopted over a pagan feast day by a Christian roman emperor over one thousand years ago. But it doesn't matter how commercialized or paginated or idolized the Christmas season is by most people. Because that is not why I celebrate it. It is a remembrance, an honor for the day God became a baby, laid in the arms of a righteous teenage girl and her husband. 

How terrified Mary must have been faced with the responsibility of bringing the savior of her sins up as a man to fulfill the purpose. But she must have felt peace, submitting her complete and utter will to the Lord. I cannot fathom the strength and courage that took. But I thank her every day for her answer, "let it be to me as you have said, I am the Lord's servant." 

I am thankful for the blessings in my life, and I look forward to spending future years with my children gathered around as Justin and I tell them the day that God came as a baby just for you and me.

Tis the Season...

So this particular holiday season has been unlike any other that I have experienced before. It has been busier, more stressful and a little less cheerful than any before.

We are living in an apartment filled with boxes, balancing the new joys of closing on a home within the end of the year and spending time with our families for the holidays with a whole slew of stress that follows with it.

I am not allowed to talk about the house much because we don't have the keys so we technically are not homeowners yet. So instead of jinxing it, I will simply say that I hope to ring in the new year in our own home soon.

We have spent so much money on presents and the new house that I cant help but feel a tiny sword prick my hear whenever I have to take out my debit card for yet another purchase. We aren't broke but it hurts!

I have had a few bad days since I quit my job which I wont discuss because I like my privacy in that sense but it definitely hasn't helped my strain levels. That and the fact that every little thing makes me want to burst into tears for no reason. Its been an emotional train ride as we finally climb the last crest to the final drop in our new step into adulthood.

I am so thankful for my family and my close friends who are with us each step of the way on this strange, hard new journey.

It's weird to think that I am 21, married, buying a home and expecting to start a family soon. Inside I still feel like a 15 year old girl terrified of boys and I cannot even fathom where I will be in 6 years. Lets say it was never where I ended up today. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Packing Boxes

December rolled around WAY too quickly but I wouldn't have it any other way. Our dining room is now filled with boxes from both of my jobs waiting to be filled with all of our junk. We get to lug a whole apartment full of furniture across the state! Whoopie!

Despite my obvious enthusiasm for packing and packing and more packing, I have never been more excited for almost anything in my life as much as this move. Save for the day I married my sweetheart of course!

We are in the process of trying to purchase a home but Justin is already working monday through fridays in Coeur D'alene and Nevada while I wait out things here. We only see each other on weekends now but luckily he gets 3 weeks off for the upcoming holidays before work starts again in January. 

I put in my resignation at my dental office for the 15th and gave my espresso stand notice of my leaving soon. It has become so real now that my permanent connections here are fraying. I am perfecting my resume in hopes of working a private dental office in Idaho monday through thursday 7 to 4 like a normal assistant usually does. Monday through Saturday was great but as we grow nearer to the days when mommyhood appears, I don't want such long work weeks. Slowing down in more ways than one.

Our lease is up in January, so stay tuned on our turning of events!