Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! The ridiculous amount of snow we've had here in the Northwest has made life difficult lately, but I'm still excited to have an official white Christmas. ;-} Christmas is always a bittersweet time for me. There is so much joy in celebrating the miraculous birth of Jesus--the fullness of God come to earth to dwell with us, die for us, and live in us! Hallelujah! It still seems pretty crazy to me every time I think about the God of the universe who loves us so much that he sent his only precious son to be born in a stable, live a life of ridiculed service, and die a humiliatingly painful death on the cross for my sins. Wow! The craziness of that reminds me of 1 Corinthians chapter 1:

18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

How powerful! Jesus came to us in a lowly way, and it was utter foolishness to the world. So many of the things God does are foolishness to those who are of the world. When I think of the crazy way God broke through my sin and despair and saved me, my heart is filled with so much joy. How completely nuts is it that the God of the universe loves me that much? I am so thankful for God's "foolishness".

These verses also remind me of what Paul tells us in the following chapter:

14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

While the message of the birth of Christ brings joy to my heart, it also brings sorrow. I grieve for those who consider the message of the cross foolishness. My heart breaks for those who don't understand the truth of God's grace in Jesus because they have closed their hearts to the Holy Spirit. This Christmas, I am praying for so many friends and family who need the Lord's truth in their lives--praying that Jesus would be a light into their world, illuminating the truth of God's love for them.

I think that sometimes this DTS trip seems like foolishness to many of the people in my life. Why pay a whole bunch of money to go halfway across the world when you could stay here and start MAKING money to go to school? It doesn't make sense to those who aren't in step with the spirit. In fact, it seems the exact opposite of "good sense". I know that while the world sees this venture as a fool's errand, the Lord has called me to it and he will bless be as I obey him. It's hard not to get discouraged by the world from time to time, but as I come to God with the burdens on my heart, he gently encourages me with his truth, like the word he gave me yesterday from Psalm 62:

1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

3 How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4 They fully intend to topple him
from his lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.
Selah

5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

6 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God [a] ;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Selah

No matter what the world throws at me, the Lord will be my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken! Can I get an AMEN!?! ;-}

So this Christmas, as I prepare to travel to Australia in 6 weeks to join with the Lord in a bit of "foolishness", I rejoice. I mourn for those who are lost, but I know Jesus will turn my mourning to dancing as I seek him. Mostly, I am thankful that God is with us.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Has come to thee, O Israel!

Merry Christmas, my dear friends. May you be blesses as you think on the wondrous birth of our savior.

December already?

I don't know when this happened, but today was my last day of student teaching! I had an absolute blast working at Midland Elementary, and left school today with a giant stack of cards and tears in my eyes. I'm going to miss those kids a whole bunch! I will don the goofy hat and robe tomorrow to walk across the stage and receive the holder for my diploma which will be coming in the mail in 2-3 months or something like that. I'm pretty excited to be graduating, especially since I have received a job offer for a long term substitute position at Shining Mountain Elementary in the Bethel School District! I'll be teaching K-6 music there on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the month of January. I'll be subbing elsewhere in the district on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and I also hope to get my application in to Franklin Pierce so I can go back to my student teaching school and actually get PAID to be there! I have also spoken with the music coordinator in Bethel, and he seems to be really open to working with me while I'm in Australia to do phone interviews and such so I will hopefully have a job when I come home! Praise the Lord for his favor, because he's the only one who could have hooked up such a sweet deal!

I want to give a HUGE shout out to the family and friends who have responded to my support letter and offered prayer and/or financial support! You have blessed my heart way mucho! There's still a long way to go as far as finances are concerned, but I know the Lord is faithful and he will provide! Keep praying for open doors and that the Lord would help me get everything ready for the trip! Things have been kind of put on hold in order to finish up student teaching and graduate, but now the big push will be coming to get ready to leave for Australia. I'm excited, but also super nervous. I know the Lord is totally going to come through and be my strength, but sometimes it's hard not to want to do things by my own strength.

Thanks so much for your support, everyone! Love you!

~Maggie

P.S.
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