I love a good family tradition, and there are many that i love with the holidays! Jake and I are so blessed to have wonderful families who love spending time with us and who love us so much! For thanksgiving this year, the Owens family and the McCoun family got together for a thanksgiving meal. It was such a fun time for me to have everyone together at one time! I so enjoyed it! Along with thanksgiving, I got to spend some quality time with Lindsay shopping on Black Friday! We started around 1130 Thursday night and headed to the outlets, then moved on to Old Navy at 330, then met mom at the Mall at 6! I got lots of goodies for my family, friends, and myself. However, there was definitely some sin action happening...saw tons of ties to this world and so much selfishness in my heart. As the word says, do not love the world or anything in the world, if anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him. (1 john 2:15) So i think, well i don't love "the world" i just like to shop right? Then this verse comes to mind: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (matthew 6:24). So i am humbled and brought to my knees in weakness when i see the reason why we even give gifts at Christmas-because God gave us Jesus as a gift so we can actually have a relationship with him. Even more awesome about the gift of salvation through Jesus is that I get to be with God eternally-and not in hell where i deserve. that's crazy. So i see my sin and the gift is even bigger because I know i can't earn God's love-He gives it to me freely, as a gift. The gospel becomes more real to me daily as i see so much sin in my heart and in my life and continually have to confess to Jesus i need Him, i am His needy daughter. I have been studying an advent reader from church, and the verses yesterday were on the brightness of His light -Revelation 21:23-26. It is so awesome to me, so mind boggling to even think about what it will be like in heaven with God forever where there will be no sun and no moon because He is light to us, and His light strips us of burdens and sorrows. I can't fathom it, but so long for it at the same time.
Jake and I have also been busy preparing for our conference in DC in a few weeks! Last week was a whirlwind of conversations and tons of time praying for those who were still deciding to come. I am so excited that my little sister, Kasey will be coming this year!!! I think she will really enjoy learning more about who Jesus is and why He is the most important person in our lives!! This week, we will be traveling to Virginia to prepare for DC on tuesday and wednesday. Please pray for our staff team and for safe travel.
This past weekend, my family went to the Nutcracker Ballet in Winston Salem! This is a family tradition every year, and i absolutely love it! I think it is so fun to dress up and go out to dinner and stay at a hotel for a night! I also just love visiting and driving through my old neighborhood (i lived here til i was 5), and driving through wake forest's campus, and visiting Old Salem every year and going to the Candle tea! I love traditions and am so excited that we get to start our own this year :) Tonight was our student "Cousin Eddie" Christmas party. We had a potluck dinner and a secret santa! Someone wrapped a little white mouse and gave it as a pet! It was a ton of fun to connect with students before exams start this week! Jake and I dressed as granny and grandpa McCoun :) I've put a few pics up from everything that has been going on!!!
The pics are from
