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There was a rumor that it might snow on Christmas eve, providing us with a rare white Christmas. But it has been so long since we've had such a special treat that my hopes weren't held very high. Our family woke up early Christmas morning to drive to my grandfather's house and I slept all the way there. But when I opened my eyes and peered out the window as we arrived, the white winter wonderland before me took my breath away. All around, a soft three-inch blanket of snow covered the ground, making the sky more blue and the trees more elegant. The little sparkles in the snow glistened as we drove by, and a thin layer of snow nestled on the tops of each bush and branch like a dash of powdered sugar. Although only a small amount of snow iced the ground, it was just enough to make snow angels and leave footprints in the fresh, untouched snow. My sister and I frolicked around outside like we'd never seen snow before, but the magic of Christmas combined with the surprise gif...

The music swells with the holiday beat and the kitchen is filled with everything sweet . Sipping hot chocolate from a snowman cup, in a warm blanket I am all snuggled up. The bells on my Christmas house shoes clink while the little white lights on the Christmas tree blink. My favorite ornaments take center stage on the tree as my favorite music box sings a Christmas melody. A warm fire crackles in the cozy living room and the beautiful red poinsettia colorfully blooms . Staying up late to laugh and to play, then staying in my warm pajamas all day. But the holiday’s traditions and decorations remind me of Christ, the Lord of Creation. For the music of heaven came to earth one dark night, And the sweetness of God came to make all things right. Because of Him, our winters are warm . He’s the light of the world in the midst of the storm. Christ, in our world, came to bloom and to brighten what had been lost, condemned, and frightened. His presence brought peace, joy, and grace . New...

As my first semster in college comes to a close, my heart is filled with gratitude as I reflect on all the things I learned, all the new things I experienced, and all the new people I met. Here are ten things I am thankful for, accompanied by pictures and memories! 1. I am so thankful for all the wonderful new friends that I have met and come to love! 2. I am thankful for my suite - these girls have laughed with me, cried with me, and been there for me no matter what. We are so close and I don't know what I would have done without them! This picture is us having our own little Christmas party in our dorm room. 3. I am especially thankful for the fall this year. I spent much more time outside, enjoying the cool weather and bright colors. 4. I am so thankful for my "home away from home." Our little dorm room has become a safe place for me amidst all the change and adjustment that moving to college brought. 5. I am thankful for the beautiful Harding campus, the good food, ...

Mountains melting, a heap of ruins, an incurable wound, going barefoot and naked, rolling in the dust, and making yourself bald - all of this is found in the first chapter of Micah in the Old Testament. Great start for a great story, huh? It wasn't really the introduction I was hoping for when I opened my Bible to Micah this morning. The first three chapters of Micah are a little depressing to say the least, and the next two aren't much better. It's all about the sins of God's people and the destruction that awaits them. I was beginning to ask myself, What in the world is this doing in the Bible? What am I supposed to do with this? But then I began to read chapter 4. "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD...that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." (vs 2) "In that day," declares the Lord, "I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts...And the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion." (vs 6-7) ...

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have recieved from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Last night, I experienced the comfort of the Lord in a powerful way, and I would like to share a piece of it with you. God, the God of compassion and comfort, sends encouragement and comfort at just the right times. I believe that His special comfort is meant to be contagious; it is meant to be shared. Just like God washed me with His comfort last night, I pass the bowl of encouragement to you so that you may wash in His perfect comfort as well. It is in times of weakness that we are most susceptible to temptation. Last night was one of those nights for me. I was stressed out about final exams, exhausted from late nights, worried about some of my relationships, and feeling guilty about past mistakes. It is when all th...

One of my favorite family traditions around Christmas time is our family ski trip to Colorado. This year, we are going to Wolf Creek ski resort, and the homepage on my computer is the official snow report for the mountain. Congratulations, Wolf Creek! As of today, you have recieved 137 inches of snow! Can you imagine a pile of snow almost 12 feet high? As an Arkansas girl, I'm not sure I've ever seen more than 2 inches of snow in my front yard, so the mental picture of a wall of snow as tall as my ceiling is magical! Here in the south, as soon as one snowflake falls, school is cancelled, everyone panics, and all the milk and eggs in the grocery store are sold within two hours. What would happen if we were dumped with over 100 inches?! Today, as I was celebrating Wolf Creek's amazing amount of snow, I realized that I have something much greater to celebrate - not the accumulation os snow, but the accumulation of God's love; not the downpour of winter weather, but the dow...

Had I not had such high expectations, it probably would have been a lot better. When it was announced that there would be an opportunity to ice skate on the front lawn of our college campus, I bought my ticket and cleared my schedule for Thursday-night-winter-wonder-land-fun! Looking back, the whole event would have been a lot more exciting if I hadn't expected real ice, real skates, and an arena bigger than my dorm room. When I first saw the little ice skate patch made of white puzzle pieces, I let out a sigh of disappointment and began to wonder if my ticket was worth the five dollars that I paid for it. However, after overcoming the initial shock of disappointment, my friends and I got out there on our funny skates, slipped and slid around for thirty minutes like clumsy penguins, and had the time of our lives doing it. My intention in telling this simple, silly story is not to complain about the ice skating; it was rather fun and hilarious - something I'll always remember. M...

As my first semester in college is coming to a close, I'm finishing papers, studying for exams, and counting down the days of class that still remain. Yet as I reflect on all the things that I have learned this semester, I realize that assignments, tests, and projects have played a very minor role in the grand scheme of things. As I look back at my first semester in college, it is like a giant photograph of all the activities, classes, lectures, and friendships. Among the fuzzy, out-of-focus backdrop of college life in this photograph, the clear point of focus is my spiritual theme: oneness . I tend to have "themes" for the spiritual focuses in my life at different times. God has been actively involved in developing a theme of oneness in my life. Throughout all the adjustments, stresses, and decisions that come with the college life, God has made it known to me that He wants to have a relationship with me that is so close, so personal, so intimate - that we are one. Time...