Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!!! It's so hard to believe that it's Christmas! This year has flown by!!!! Honestly, it just seems like yesterday I was in Hong Kong for COR just finishing up with outreaches and celebrating Christmas with all my friends there. I never would have thought that that 3 week trip would change my life so drastically. As you know, God called me back to Hong Kong for DTS 3 weeks after I got home...and my experience there is unforgettable.

Not just that, but this year has also brought an addition to our family...little Nora. And how God revealed her to me in a dream still blows my mind. A year brings change, healing, new life, and hope.

The way God works will never be something I understand. This past week and a half has been difficult. My dear friend Dean Cyboron died in a car accident in Ch!na while spending time with his family. This man meant so much to me. When I look back at my life and my walk with God, Dean definitely was a part of my growth. I don't remember any significant moment or conversation we had that totally changed me...but it was how he lived his life. He loved Jesus with all of his heart and that love God put in him poured out onto all of us kids at TEC. He was always there with encouraging words, hugs, and often times a joke or something random to say to make me laugh :) Looking back on his life has inspired me to seek even more of God in my life. I want to live my life in a way that the people around me know how much I love Jesus for what He's done in my life. I want that to be an example to the kids I work with both in school and especially at youth group.

Yes, I don't understand why something like this would happen to Dean and his family, but I do know that God is working through this accident to reach many people. I can see how people who maybe know "about" God look at this and truly see God. It's hard not to see God in this situation. How He has provided peace and healing for the rest of the family and friends.

Tonight, we had the candlelight service for Christmas Eve...well at the end we turn off all of the lights, light candles, and stand in a circle and sing. I couldn't help but think of TEC and the Agape banquet...it was so similar, and to think that Dean is there right now with Jesus at the banquet is a beautiful sight. He's there celebrating Christmas with Christ...and also praising Jesus for all He's done. God is so good!!!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!! Remember the true reason for the season...the little baby Jesus that came to be Emmanuel...God with Us. And that is so true! He is with us yesterday, today, and forever.

Update

Hello everyone! I'm seriously the worst blogger ever! haha. I don't keep updated as much as I should, I apologize. But anywho...life has been good lately.

I have some very excited news!!! My sister had her baby girl, Nora Joelle. She was born at 7:18pm on Dec. 6, my mom's birthday :) She

was 6lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long! She is so beautiful!!! It's so amazing to see the promise God gave me in my dream back in Hong Kong be fulfilled! If you don't remember, I had a dream on the Monday before I went to Ch!na that Ryleigh told me her mommy was going to have a baby. Then on Thursday I called Amber and she told me she just found out she was pregnant!!! It still gives me chills to think about it. I mean honestly, God was showing me so much at that time, and the fact that He loves me enough to share that with me is such a blessing. Plus now having little Nora here safe and healthy is so amazing as well. Everyone is doing great, and of course Ryleigh is a BIG help :)

Other than that, life is pretty much the same. I'm still working and now I'm trying to get my schedule all figured out for next semester, which is quite annoying. I just can't get into the classes I need to be in, so hopefully I can get it all figured out!

I'm now officially taking over the youth group at One80. I don't know what to do and how to do it, but I do know that this is why I'm here. I know that I'm supposed to be working with the youth, but what it looks like, ehh...that's a little foggy. I'm just trying to trust that it will all work out! I still feel like the team leadership is the direction to go, but who's on that team? I still don't know! haha. As of now there has been 2 girls showing up...and building relationship with them is so natural and I feel like it's what I'm good at. My prayer is that as we grow in relationship with each other others will see it and want to join and it will just grow from there.

That's about all I got for now...I hope to update againsoon, but it's likely it will be awhile. haha!