GVL

This weekend was awesome. After Thanksgiving with dinner with Kristin's family, we headed up to Green Valley Lake. there was absolutely no snow. we were not expected to have snow, the forecast said "snow flurries." it ended up being the first big snow fall of the season up there. it snowed over a foot. it was amazing. we had another Thanksgiving dinner up there, and played in the snow. we fished in the snow, we didnt catch anything though, but as soon as we left on Sunday my dad caught 3. dumb. but it was such a good break. it was beautiful up there, all white and junk.

while i was up there, i got to read and do some quiet time up there. i continued my reading of "Un Christian" by David Kinnaman. i was reading the chapter on how Christians get such a bad wrap on the subject of homosexuality. i agree that people are messed up on this situation. i like how he said that in the eyes of the Bible, homosexuality is a for sure sin. there is no doubt about that. but it is how we, Christians, deal with the people who struggle with homosexuality is wrong. it is a sin, but so is lying, or gossip. no one makes a big deal when it comes to those things, because all sin is equal in the eyes of the LORD, but why is it that when we bring up the idea of homosexuality, it is so blown up and put on this pedestool? i think we need to look at the clique "hate the sin, not the sinner" and truly put it into practice. i think if we were to do this, the gay community would come to know the relationship Jesus wants with them, rather than run away and cower when they find out that you are a Christian.

Thanksgiving

so last night was our family Thanksgiving dinner. it was awesome. i love my family. we set up a huge long table that all 20 of us could sit at and there was candles and decorations and there was a ton of food. its funny cause whenever i tell people we dont have a traditional thanksgiving dinner and tell them that we have a German thanksgiving, they always respond the same way, "when and where is this?" people seem to be tired of turkey lol, although i love turkey and gravy, but we have cheese noodles, red cabage, german potato salad, and roladen. its amazing.

tonight i am going to kristins family's house for dinner, and they are having a non-traditional thanksgiving as well. they are full blooded Italians so they do their won version too. i love it.

tonight after that we are headed up to gree valey lake for the weekend with my family, who left this morning. we go up there every thanksgiving and fish and have our own family thanksgiving dinner up there. there we will be having turkey. kristin is coming with me, my sister has a friend up there too, and my brother and his finace are coming up tomorrow.

Green valley lake is small but its sooo pretty up there. it might even snow tomorrow night which would be amazing.

i have been very thankful for this time off this last week. i have had no school or work since tuesday and i dont go back till monday. i got to go to The Chariot and the Norma Jean show and Knott's. i am very thankful for this time off, and it has been much needed. i feel like i have been going crazy with work. but its a good crazy because i really enjoy it, but come on, everyone needs a break sometimes.

i am very thankful for a lot of things. since this time off i have been thinking a lot. its crazy to me that we have so much, and a lot of people around the rest of the world have so little. Jp, one of the student ministries pastors at CCV, asked a really good question last sunday regarding being thankful. it got me thinking. if you really think about it, if you live in America, you are automatically in the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world. that is crazy, and how many times do we take for granted all the things we have such as food to eat and a bed to sleep in. or even just family and the people who love you. i am thankful for a lot of things. i have so much. and to be honest i dont deserve any of it.

my prayer is for all of us to really look at what we have, and ask ourselves, "do we really take enough time out of our day to praise God for the things and family he has placed us with?"

Talky Talky Talk Talk

so last week i gave a sermon for high school and jr high. i went over way too long, like by 10-15 minutes. i cant do that as a speaker, but i am still learning. i dont want to come up with any excuses, but they did tell me about a timer that i was supposed to go by, but i never saw nor know where it was, so...there you go. overall though, i thought i did pretty well, it was about becoming salt and what "unsalty" Christians look like, and i got to talk about my friend that passed away from cancer. (www.theletitbefoundation.com if you want info on her). i got a lot of good responses from the students which is always encouraging.

i have been reading the book UnChristian by David Kinnaman. it is really disturbing the way the church as a whole has come off to the unchurched. it has been a real eye opener for me. right now i am reading about how non-Christians look at us how we look at Mormons who come to us door to door. they think we dont genuinely do no care for them as people and we are just wanted to get numbers on our "saved people" list. it has been really different seeing some of these things and studies he has in this book.

i am excited for today though, i get to go to Laguna Beach and hang out down there with Kristin. its nice this week because i have no work or school for the rest of the week. i do have homework though over this little break, but i have to deal.

alright, this blog is going to start to come together. its going.

Dont really know why...

i dont really know why i wanted to start this. i just feel that i have been thinking a lot, about a lot of things, so i thought it would be helpful if i just started to write some of it down.

i do want to warn you:

• i am a broken person
• take what i say with a grain of salt, these are just my personal thoughts and rants or whatever. i am still a student, learning and reading more and more. anything that i write down is probably something i read, heard about, or learned about in my quiet times.
• i hope you enjoy my thoughts

welcome into my head.