Jesus in a Manger

Hey all!
It's L! I meant to post this sooner but I took forever to edit it so here it is a few days late! Enjoy!

So, as I mentioned before, I have always loved the Christmas story and I was thinking about it a few days ago while I stood around in my kitchen listening to the radio. This song called "Just a girl"by Brandon Heath was playing. It talks about how there was no room for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the inn in Bethlehem. I heard several people mention the irony of the fact that the Son of God and King of Kings spent his birth night in a manger. As I thought about it though, I started to wonder. 

It wasn't likely a surprise. Hotels and plane flights fill up quick at Christmas and a census in those days clearly drew a lot of travelers to Bethlehem. But then again, for a pregnant women and her husband you would think a room might have been found. Jesus arranged a donkey and a Passover meal with people that seemed to be strangers later in life. Wouldn't it have been easier and more miraculous if God had just sent an angel to the innkeeper telling him to reserve a room for the couple He would show him? That would have made a great little story of faith, right? So why didn't he? 

I think Jesus wouldn't have had it any other way. He came "not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 28:20 ESV) so doesn't it make perfect sense that he began his life with sacrifice! He suffered God's wrath so that we could know His favor and love. How fitting that He would sleep in a barn so that some other family could sleep in a warm room. Isn't that beautiful?

I don't think the manger was just a humble start to a great ministry, I believe it was Jesus first act of sacrifice for the human race. after all he could have spent that night in heaven if he had been putting His own comfort first. It set the tone for the life of sacrifice he would live and the death of sacrifice he would die.
I love Christmas!
-L. 
P.S. Thanks to my good friend Maria for the drawing!

 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them 

in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God

 for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

(Luke 2:19-20 ESV)

The Christmas Story

Hey People!
Happy Christmas Eve!
You know my favorite thing about Christmas? The story! Like seriously the Christmas story is probably more commonly told than any other and it never gets old for me! My favorite personal tradition is reading the first two chapters of Luke throughout the season. I love all the building anticipation of Jesus coming, especially knowing that they were waiting for a savior for so long!
Today I just want to share a few moments from the lead up to Jesus birth.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

 (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV Emphasis mine)

Isaiah was written like 700 years before Jesus was born and God was already telling people he was coming! And look at the depth of that passage, so much hope, so much peace that they knew Jesus would bring.

Part of me want's to copy and paste all of Luke 1 and 2 right here so you all have to read it but I won't. I'll just share a few excerpts but then you have to read it to yourself and pay attention! Okay? Even if you have read it like a hundred times before. It is so full of cool details and there are two song/poems that people just break into like in a musical or a Shakespeare play! I was going to share a verse from each but they just make way more sense all together and in their place in the story. Right now I'm just going to remind you of one more aspect.

 So depending on how well you know the whole story you might remember Zechariah. He and his wife

had a son when they both thought they were too old and that son was John the Baptist who

Zechariah described this way:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
  for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
  in the forgiveness of their sins,
 
(Luke 1:76-77 ESV)

 John was a pretty important part of Jesus' ministry from the very beginning. Even before he was 

born he was confirming who Jesus was (but I'll let you read about that for yourself and maybe

 share more thoughts in a later post) 

Guys, I haven't even mentioned Joseph, or a star, or angles...! There is so much more to the Christmas story! 

Are you excited yet? 

Okay so go get your Bible or click this link, get a cup of hot cocoa or tea and read the Christmas story

and then comment and tell me what your favorite part is or what you noticed that you hadn't before. 

Merry Christmas!

-L.

The Semester in Review and Destressing 101

 

Hi again, my friends! M. here!

It's great to be back! Do you know why?? IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!! (happy dance) School's finally over and I'm beyond excited for the last 15 days of this year. (Yeah, only 15 days till 2016, guys. Buckle up!!)

I just had the craziest semester in my life. In the best way, I think. I started my true first year of college and it was a blast! There was definitely a lot of work, having 8 classes to shuffle every week along with Life group and Chapel and studying and homework and choir practice and work and... well it was just a crazy semester.

It was a crazy semester for another big reason besides school, though. In the past few months, I've really been growing closer to God. I've heard from Him in more tangible ways since September than I think I have my whole high school life! His call to follow Him with all of myself has never been clearer, and the presence of His grace in my daily walk with Him has never been sweeter.

That's one of the things I love so much about God. My relationship with Him doesn't grow in a linear way (nerd word alert!!) but it grows in an exponential way (slow down, there!) because we can always grow closer to God on this earth and we can always dig deeper into the riches of His love. I know He's always got more for me.

Take my stress levels for example. I think we all know that I'm like a joyful little bundle of stress!!! I carry it with me every day; I treat it like a beloved puppy, judging by how much attention I pay to it. Because there's so many things to stress about, right? I mean, there's stressing about the grade I'm gonna get on that homework I turned in yesterday or the random thing I said to that person last week or every time I've embarrassed myself in front of people EVER IN MY LIFE. This blog is full of regrets like that! And then there's today to stress about: does my face look weird? Does she think my shirt's ugly? Am I talking too much? Am I talking enough? Does anyone like me?? How am I going to get everything done today? And then there's stress about the future!!!! That's the best, because the options are limitless!!! What am I going to eat for lunch tomorrow? How much homework will I have next week? What presents am I going to get for my family for Christmas? What classes will I take next semester? What about summer break? What about after I graduate? Am I ever going to get married? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH MY LIFE???

You probably get the picture...

Stress is the easy way out. It's our human response to the unknown and uncontrollable. To be honest, it's really unproductive too. Ever heard that saying that worry is like a rocking chair; it won't get you anywhere but it'll give you something to do? That's definitely true when it comes to the things I stress about the most - they're usually the least important.

A friend is singing a song for her voice recital tomorrow called "Cecie's Lullaby." I'm playing piano and singing harmonies with her, and it's one of the few things that have been keeping me sane lately. The lyrics are from the perspective of God to one of His children:

"Call my name and I will listen

All you need is here inside arms

Just breathe and you'll be safe and sound

With me

No one knows you better than me

No one's been a better friend 

So rock-a-bye, baby, come and rest

You've been tired lately, lay your head down

Don't you think, baby, I know best

I've been a Father for a long time" 

Because I'm a foster sister, there's plenty of crying kids around. I know nap time and bed time especially can be stressful for babies, so the other day I held my two year old foster sister and sang her those words. And she screamed the whole time, but after another song she calmed down and fell asleep in my arms. There aren't many things in the world that can top that. But it got me to thinking about the whole rocking chair analogy.

Maybe you rocking in the rocking chair won't get you anywhere, but perhaps letting Him hold you and sing you to sleep is how he designed it. The stress isn't ours to worry about. It's His to handle.

How will you intentionally pursue God's rest this Christmas?

-M.

The Author

Hey Everyone, L. and M. here! 
Fun Fact:  This was one of the first posts I worked on when I joined Simplex and M. started adding  thoughts  a while ago (maybe a year?) Now we  are finally sharing it with you so i hope it was worth sitting around in our drafts for as long as it did.

 M: Writing is wonderful. The fact that I can use words to put a thought into your mind is fascinating. I can make you think of the beauty of a baby's first breath, the smell of a rainy day, or fireworks on the 4th of July just by mentioning it, and the picture pops into your head. Try it! Remember the bustle on Thanksgiving day, how full you felt after all of that food? It was so delicious. So, what did you just think of? Exactly what I told you to. Isn't that cool?

Words are so powerful. But where is the power coming from? Well, in my opinion, it's the author. The one who creates the story originates the thought that lands on the page and travels to other people's heads. The author has superiority over you while you read their fiction, fantasy, philosophy, or whatever else they write.


 L: As a writer, I love to think of God as one. I have heard Him called the "Author of Life" and the "Author of Salvation". I think usually when people say this they mean that He created or invented them but he did far more than that. I might come up with tones of ideas but I wouldn't call myself an author unless I actually went through with a story and completed it. When I think of God as the author I  mean that he is weaving billions of beautiful stories together into a giant masterpiece. 


M: I've also always loved thinking of God as an author, too. He is weaving a very grand theme into all of history: redemption. His story is THE story of all time, the greatest kind of story that you can't describe to a friend in words; the kind that makes you say they just "have to read it!" Well, our life is in that great story. Your life also makes a story, all by itself. Your life isn't that boring! There's a setting, great supporting characters, (maybe even an archenemy!) a specifically chosen place and time setting, a plot with tons of twists and turns, and you just can't wait till the next chapter. Maybe it's because this chapter was awful and hopefully some light will come in the next few pages, or maybe it's because something important is happening soon in your life.

What a story your life makes! But there's more: You're just ONE person in God's story of all stories. Have you ever wanted two of your favorite book/movie/TV series to cross over and interact in a plot together? Well, God is doing that with your close friends, your neighbor across the street, the man you saw at the grocery store - they all shared moments in your life and you in theirs!

L: One thing I love about His style is that even though He is writing such a big story that goes way beyond me, He chooses to put in beautiful little details like rain after I have had a bad day or letting me see heart shapes in random objects, as reminders of his unfailing love for me.

M: A few months ago, I realized for the first time that the word "authority" has the word "author" in it! I know, it's a little weird that I never saw it before, but it really made me think. I think of an author as anyone who originates something. They start it. God commanded creation with just His voice, and the universe obeyed Him. He is the supreme author, and therefore holds all "author-ity." Anything we as humans can make is a reflection of God's creativity, for He made us in His image.
God is the ultimate author, and his story is, well, all of "history!" He tells the story of His people in the Bible, and interacts with them. Most authors leave themselves out of the book, but this writer certainly didn't. The author then entered the book. Jesus confined Himself to a few pages in our Bible. He had to cram His entirety of power into a human frame. And what for? His characters in the story.

A lot of writers become really attached to their characters. They're more like people to them than just a made up imagination. God didn't work that way; He took the words off the page and chose to give them a body, and what's more, a soul. He has a better excuse to be attached to us than we do to our fictional friends.
A few months back, E. was telling me about the greatest book she'd ever read. "The main character dies," she told me.
What kind of horrible book is that? I wondered. "What's it called?"

She grinned at me and said, "The Bible." Duh. But then I thought about it. The author, God, is also the main character in the Bible. God is writing His autobiography. He goes into His own story to die?! Talk about the BIGGEST PLOT TWIST EVER!

Then Jesus is no longer dead. He didn't fake His death, (like Sherlock!) He actually, really dies. His body was buried for three days. I can only imagine what those three days were like for his disciples, but also for Him. Did He go down to hell and fight Satan? Or did He spend it rejoicing with His Father? Anyway, He rose from the dead, defeated DEATH, and did I mention He won over death? He has risen!

Jesus then told His disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18, NIV). Did you catch that? Jesus now has all AUTHORITY. Like, literally everywhere. He still does. Jesus changed the story, as the writer becoming the written. He was given the authorship of the rest of the story and will write it till the end.

Another cool connection to the story allegory I thought of is that Jesus, in John chapter 1, is described as "the Word." Not a word or multiple, but the one, final, quintessential spoken gesture ever in the history of every dimension!! And He loves us more than we can imagine. That's why He wrote the story. That's why pain sometimes seems to overtake us. Jesus loves us and He will do anything to get us to realize that, and suffering is a pretty valuable tool. Broken people turn to Christ to be healed.

L: Not every story (or life) will have a happy or even "good" individual ending because the story has been twisted by the devil ( I hope to devote a whole post to this in the future), but every story is woven into the Ultimate story and that will have a beautiful ending.

M:I have a theory about the end of every story. Because God is truly the main character of every story, I think the last page of every story (on earth) will end with something like this: "And God was glorified. THE END (that never ends)." It's weird, and I don't really know where that idea came from. It's not biblical, necessarily, but the Bible does weave the theme of God's ultimate victory through His whole story. GOD WINS!

Thanks for reading! 
-L. and M.

giving Thanks

Hey!
It's L! [I know the tittle is a bit unoriginal but I like it anyway.]
I don't have anything deep and theological to write about Thanksgiving at the moment so I thought I would just start out by sharing some of the things I am grateful for. Be warned; this isn't a typical list.:)

1. Thanksgiving Dinners: Because they are yummy and the leftovers last like a week and can be used in so many ways.
2. M. and E.: Even though I don't see E. much any more they have both been a huge influence on my life and helped me grow a lot.
3. This blog: I love getting to share my thoughts with people and put together graphics and pictures to compliment and advertise them.
4. YOU (because you are reading this post)
5. God's design of family and the way that men and women compliment each other.
6. Water: It is so simplex!
7. Sunsets :D
8. The Gospel: And that God made it clear to me about three years ago
9. That God leads me (Psalm 32:8)
10. My Mom: She works so hard and is so nice to me!
11. My Dad: And the twelve years that we both lived on the earth. 
12. The fact that my Dad is safe at home with God this year and for eternity.(2 Corinthians 5:8)
13. Rain
14. Stars
15. Pizza: Especially deep dish!
16. That I get to study the structure God used to make the universe in School.
17. My Brothers: They read me story's when I was younger, they taught me to have thick skin for teasing, and they continue to set an example of taking initiative.
18. My Sister: She takes awesome pictures, and keeps me humble.
19. That (Lord willing) all my siblings and mom get to spend Christmas together this year!
20. Worldview Academy: I learned so much from four great years of camp!
21. Friend's visiting from out of town for the week. :D
22. A week off of classes
23. Getting to be a part of a really cool Choir
24. Being part of a great local Church with opportunities to serve
25. Christmas Cookies
26. That I found one packet of Ramon noodles when i wanted a hot diner tonight.
27. The Bible: I would be lost in nearly every way without it
28. Emotions: They are a gift
29. Friend's who are more like family
30. Warm sweaters 

I could keep going but I think 30 is a good place to stop. Some of you might think it is inconsiderate of me to post about all these blessings when so many people don't even have a place to call home, so many have been struck by tragedy and a lot of people won't even have the blessing of a simple meal this Thanksgiving but that is all the more reason for all of us to be grateful for what we have. Thanksgiving is also a big reminder to pray for and give to those who don't have as much as we do.

What are you thankful for this year? Who can you give a reason to be thankful to?

-L.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from 

the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

(James 1:17 ESV)

"That's Life"

Hey all! M. here again! Happy November to all of you!! How is your Thanksgiving week going? Tell me in the comments below!!

Today I want to talk about a saying that really really annoys me. (I know, it's brilliant to be complaining the week where we are supposed to be thankful!) I use this saying all the time, but I hate using it and I hate the idea behind it.

"That's life," we say.
When we lose a job or our microwave breaks, we sigh and say, "that's life."
When we're super busy or we don't get along with other people, we shrug it off and say, "that's life."
When we find flaws in our work or we have to start a project over, we grumble and say, "that's life."
When we have an impossible dream and lose our motivation, we quit and say, "that's life."
When wars and crises arise and we think our world's just gone down the drain, we say "that's life."
When it feels like God is distant and we're stuck on our own, we just say, "that's life."
And we move on.

Why do we have to say that? Why are we obligated to a mysterious fate called life? Yes, there are about two things we have guaranteed in this life, first, death; second, taxes! Yes, we can generally look at lives from the past to learn from their mistakes, predict possible outcomes, and maybe make better plans for the future.

But we aren't tied to that. We never have to be controlled by the outcome of a unknown lottery machine of future events. Isn't God the one who created life? Doesn't He have control over our future and over us? Jesus told us that He came to earth so that we might have life, and have it "to the full!" So why do we settle?

Because we're comfortable. We American Christians are so comfortable in our little Jesus boxes that we don't bother to dream the impossible. We don't care enough to look and see if this is really all there is to life. We rarely ask the Holy Spirit to be present in our lives every day. We don't expect God to move in miraculous ways for us. We don't hope for things like what happened in the apostles' stories in Acts to happen today. Because we're comfortable.

How comfortable are you? How okay are you with your life? When was the last time the Holy Spirit pointed out an attitude to change, a relationship to mend, an opportunity to give Him glory? Did you follow that call? Have you even heard His voice?

Living life to the full is like skydiving - you have to jump out of a plane that has a seat for you, a nice buckle to keep you in that seat, protection from the sun and the wind and the rain and the pull of gravity. You have no need to jump out. You have no need to use the dangerous route to get back to the ground. You can just ride the nice plane down to safety.

But you're not going to have much of a story when you get back to the ground if you never jumped out of that window. You're not going to have the thrill of falling, flying, hurtling down towards the planet unrestrained until at the last second you release the parachute.

It's the same way in our walk with Jesus. We could stay in our comfy churches with the seats we've picked out with protection from the elements of our broken world and the gravity of life's messes. We don't have to go do things to earn our salvation. We aren't obligated to take the dangerous route because "His grace abounds in our weakness." We can just ride the nice Christian life to heaven.

But you can't live life the way God designed you to when you're still inside the airplane! It's time to let go of following the status quo of "that's life." Because there really is more than the nice busy Christian life full of church services with plastic perfect people and life groups full of plastic perfect discussion and the rest of your life as the quiet, unoffensive office worker with a "Jesus loves you" sticker in your cubicle. There really is more to life than the loads of dishes and laundry and kids' noses and faces to clean and meals to prepare and arguments to interrupt. Oh, yes, that mundane still exists. Oh, yes, the trials and the failures and the car breakdowns and feeling distant from God won't go away. That's because we're human and our world is broken.

(But we're not just human beings. Our soul is eternal and will live forever in Christ's presence if we've accepted His salvation. I'm learning, too, that that soul isn't the only things that will live on. We will have eternal bodies in continuity with the old, but those bodies won't decay or become useless. What an exciting prospect! I can't wait for heaven. And seeing Jesus.)

When we are in eternity, I think I'd rather tell the story of how I went skydiving.

What about you?

There's no going back once you jump. But when it come to living God's life for you, you won't regret jumping.
You'll get the opportunity to truly be God's hands and feet for this broken world.
You might get to see God's presence tangibly changing lives and changing whole cultures.
Your heart attitude towards God might be personally transformed from the inside out.
You might be hated for your radical ideas. Jesus practically guarantees it.
You won't be comfortable. But you probably won't miss that comfortable life once you leave it.
You might live that impossible dream in spite of every voice that says it can't happen.
You'll have the chance to redefine what you call truly living.

You will be changed. And that's life. God's way.