Tis the Season

Christmas festivities are the best. Family and cookies and decorated trees and wrapping paper and the music. I love it all. The best part is that, because I have split families, I get to celebrate my second favorite holiday for several days.

This year the merriment started on Sunday with my dad’s side of the family. Although I live pretty close to most of them, I don’t see them very often. So any time we are all together is special to me. My cousin Brandon brought a few of my aunts to tears with his reading of a poem about Sandy Hook, and I loved having my uncle Brian praying over our family.

Later that night, my sisters and I came home to unwrap presents with Mom. Stockings are always my favorite part. It’s fun to see what little things Mom puts in them. After opening presents we finished up some cookies for the next day.

Christmas Eve as long as I can remember has always been spent at my grandparents’ house in Fox Lake. That side of the family is a crazy mix of fun and inappropriate and it makes for interesting holiday get-togethers. I love every single one of those goofballs.

Finally, I celebrated Christmas Day in West Allis with my step-family. Mamms has been sick lately, so it was nice to spend time with her and see her all dolled up. Even the puppies got dressed up for the occasion!

I love thinking about the wonderful family I am surrounded with. Many of my favorite memories are of holidays with them. So I know it’s important after reflecting on these Christmas celebrations to thank God for blessing me with this family, for welcoming me into His family, and for the gift of His son.

Happy Holidays, lovelies.

Snow Day

Breaking News: It's SNOWING!

Okay, so that's not really breaking news, but it is pretty exciting. My hometown has seen at least 10" since late last night and it's still going. I literally shoveled snow off of my car this morning and even after that there's no way I will be leaving the house at all today.

Instead, I have spent the day in a giant sweater, curled up in bed reading. This is exactly what I was looking forward to during those last tense weeks of the semester. Now that the academic reading is behind me, I can actually read for fun. That's right. Reading. For fun.

A couple of months ago I picked up some books for Goodwill (let's be real, I buy books every time I go to Goodwill). Among those books was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So in these last weeks of December this is what I will be reading.

By the way, if you are ever interested in what I am reading, you can follow me on Goodreads. :)

Until next week,

Swim

You've gotta swim
Swim for your life
Swim for the music
That saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
And swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven't come this far
To fall off the earth
The currents will pull you
Away from your love
Just keep your head above

I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the dawn
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
A crack in the armor
I swim to brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
I swim

You gotta swim
Through nights that won't end
Swim for your families
Your lovers your sisters
And brothers and friends
Yeah you've gotta swim
Through wars without cause
Swim for the lost politicians
Who don't see their greed as a flaw

The currents will pull us
Away from our love
Just keep your head above

I found a tidal wave
Begging to tear down the dawn
Memories like bullets
They fired at me from a gun
Cracking me open now
I swim for brighter days
Despite the absence of sun
Choking on salt water
I'm not giving in
Well I'm not giving in
I swim

You gotta swim
Swim in the dark
There's no shame in drifting
Feel the tide shifting and wait for the spark
Yeah you've gotta swim
Don't let yourself sink
Just find the horizon
I promise you it's not as far as you think
The currents will drag us away from our love
Just keep your head above
Just keep your head above
Swim
Just keep your head above
Swim, swim
Just keep your head above
Swim

-Jack's Mannequin

Quick Update

The semester is almost over *cue simultaneous sobbing and celebration*. While I have officially dubbed last week “Hell Week,” this one and the next are looking much easier. That would be great, except I now have to fight the urge to slack off. You know, it’s pretty easy to justify melting an evergreen candle, reading Gatsby, and drinking coffee all afternoon when I don’t have a whole lot due.

That’s not to say that life is completely stress-free at the moment. I have a massive financial deadline looming over my head, with $575 due in just nine days. Yikes. The devil is pretty clearly using this as an opportunity to get under my skin. I’ll find myself doubting my call and believing I’m a burden to my family. I’m choosing not to buy into it which, of course, is easier said than done. It has been so helpful to stay in the Word, to ask for prayer, and to have a guy like Adam who speaks truth over me.

That being said, the donations are coming in slowly and doors of financial opportunity have been opened for me. I know I’m not alone in this and I know I serve a big God who works all things together for my good.

I can’t guarantee an update next week as I will be finishing my last final and checking out of the dorms, but keep an eye out.

Blessings.