The Reason for the Season

Around Christmas time, we all seem to focus on the presents we will receive. We spend days browsing catalogs and ogling at storefront windows to create the perfect Christmas wish list of all the things we want. What we seem to forget is why we get these things.
With Christmas comes a season of giving.

As per the typical Christmas Eve routine, we headed to church with the family last night. And sticking with tradition, we are told something relevant to Christmas, whether that be the Christmas story, Jesus’s lineage, or a major worldly celebration of the holiday. Last night hit me a little differently; it was the first Christmas service that really hit home. We talked about giving. We watched this video, and I think it describes perfectly why it is the giving that is important.




I also found this video on Facebook several days ago, and like the last, I couldn't help but tear up.



Now you may be laughing at me, “why on earth did these make her tear up?” and it’s not because these videos are sad. It’s simply because they are so moving. It’s amazing to me how powerful giving to others can be and expecting nothing in return.

Giving: /giv/ verb freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone)

**key word: freely
As in: neither getting nor expecting anything in return.

“Remember the reason for the season” sticks as a typical holiday reminder – but who knew how prevalent this reason was.

What God gave us (as in the collective body of the people of the earth) was this:

“But the angel said to them, ‘do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David has a savior been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11 (part of the Christmas story)

“For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (The gift)

And here’s the kicker.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

In order to explain first, we need a few definitions, but I’ll keep them basic.
Wage: something you earn.
Sin: any wrongdoing or misstep in human error that causes us to be imperfect, unlike God, and away from Him,
Death: physically from this earth, we will all die. Beyond that, there is a spiritual death. In this sense, death is separation from God.
Gift: something we are freely given, we owe nothing in return.
Life: opposite of death, being with God forever.
Jesus Christ: God’s one and only son who was sent to forgive and save all of mankind for his.

In short, we earn death or this separation from God. BUT. God sent Jesus Christ as a gift (that we need not repay) and when we transfer our trust to God, we are given forgiveness and eternal life.
Because God sent his one and only son as a gift, we shall not be condemned to hell but are saved in Christ and we get to spend our life forever with Him.

This act of giving that comes with the Christmas season is not to spoil children or spend money on those we love or any other reason but this: we give to serve as a reminder of what God gave us: the gift of eternal life in Christ.

Now if that doesn't just amp up your holiday spirit, I don’t know what will!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

When will my reflection show...(right now).

As the semester has come o a close, it only seems fitting that there be a time of reflection (aka now). I suppose there are really only three major things I feel I should reflect on. Now this is not necessary at all, nor is it necessary that you read these; however, I feel like looking back, you can learn from where you have been or just reminisce on awesome things that happened, and both of these options are equally cool.

So number 1. School. HOW EXCITING. Except not really. Okay, not at all. I mean, don't get me wrong, school is great and all and learning is swell. But school really sucks. Particularly because I didn't do as well as I had hoped this semester. Not saying my grades were bad by any means (unless you're asking me or my father - I got the "I'm disappointed talk" - I mean, I'm a typical A student with B's here and there). I was still above agerage, so I suppose thats okay. BUT, I will say that I have learned (while in the past it has been okay for me and I have slid by), procrastinating things is really dumb and actually really sucks. Also, in a not sassy but just honest and true way, I didn't learn anything this year. So you say, "you learned absolutely nothing?" Okay, of course I learned something. I learned that even though I didn't pay much attention in Humanities, I retained some of the information to win Trivia Crack questions about art. I learned that a group and a team are the same thing but in a management class the definition differs by a few insignificant words (almost like a "the vs. a" sort of thing) and therefore "has a completely different meaning". I learned that there are 5 core marketing principles (don't ask me what they are, because according to Dr. Yoon, no I "do not understand"). Oh. Okay, I did learn one thing, and I thought it was pretty cool. I learned about mapping out a project for project management, which was cool. I think I only liked it because it was the ONLY thing I actually DID all semester (as in everything else was concepts and little to no execution, or discussion, or hands on, etc.).

That being sais, at the start of the semester, and really all last year, I was pretty cool with being a business major and then, eventually, obviously working in business. But after this semester, I'm not so sure. Now, perhaps that has to do with my performance this year, but looking at it, what do I want to spend the rest of my life "doing". In business, would I actually even be doing anything?? I suppose that's the real question. I don't want to spend my life not using my brain behind a desk in a cube of an office for the next 40 years. So I've got some thinking to do on that one.

Number 2. The good ol' anterior cruciate ligament. How fun. Especially when it tears. So if you don't know already, tear in ACL = MRI. MRI says just the tear = surgery. Paige doped up. Doc: "we found two tears in your meniscus that didn't show up on the MRI" = "crutches for 6 weeks" = h8ing life for a long time. BUT. Honestly it hasn't been that bad. Yeah, don't get me wrong. Crutches definitely suck, and I miss not being able to run. Wait, what? That's right, I said it. I MISS BEING ABLE TO RUN. 2 more months and I'll be able to run. And I couldn't be more excited. Maybe that's weird. I don't care.

This event in life has really changed my outlook on everything and given me an appreciation for the littlest things. Like being able to stand on two feet. Or functioning on your own. And if I didn't realize it before, I have some truly amazing people in my life. And I knew they were great and wonderful before I tore my ACL, but it's been proven in ways I cannot explain. These people in my life are what hold me up (literally) and mentally and emotionally and any other way you could think of.

My best friend goes to physical therapy with me. I mean, who does that?? Okay mainly it's because we're never apart so it would be inconvenient not to, BUT STILL. And sometimes it's hard because I have this whole new piece in my leg that I have to make function like I've had it for 20 years in 6 months. And she's always there supporting me. And that's an unbelievable feeling.

And finally, number 3. 100 Days.

There are now two parts to this 100 days.

3. a) I started a challenge in late July to post what made me happy for 100 days. Yesterday was my 149th post. I can't stop, nor do I want to. As cheesy as it sounds, this has actually made me happier. Life is happy. Sometimes life will getcha down, I get that. It gets me too, trust me. But overall, I'd say my general perception of life is grand. It's great. http://turning394paiges.tumblr.com/
This is what happy is.

3. b) It has been *officially* 100 days since my friendship with this lil' nugget began. And it is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. 512% true. And there is no hope of me doing justice to her character by my feeble attempts to explain how extraordinary this woman is. So here is a list of words to describe her, but it only skims the surface of her soul.

A: adorable
B: beloved
C: captivating
D: dependable
E: enchanting, extraordinary
F: forever
G: godly
H: hardworking
I: irreplaceable
J: joyful
K: kind
L: loyal, limitless
M: meaningful
N: nuggetO: outstanding
P: passionate
Q: quirky
R: reliable
S: strong
T: tubular
U: unparalleled
V: vibrant
W: witty
X: x-factor
Y: youthful
Z: zesty

p.s. Happy Christmas Eve eve