Happy New Years 2013!

Happy New Year!

May you not be afraid to take risks, dream big, and find adventure

May you live fully, serve passionately, and love deeply

May 2013 be filled with Gods love, joy and peace

The best is yet to come....

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther


Whether we want them or not, 

the New Year will bring new challenges; 

whether we seize them or not, 

the New Year will bring new opportunities.  

~Michael Josephson

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Christmas Cheer

Christmas 2012

I just got back from our Christensen family Christmas

I am sitting at home listening to my last bit of Kenny G Holiday

 Nostalgic feelings always surface around Christmas time

The longing to be home is strong 

Christmas "renews our youth and stirs our wonder"

Though Christmas is still all around me the "magic of Christmas" has come to pass

The presents are unwrapped

The gatherings and get togethers are done

The New Year parties being planned

The stores bringing out Valentines day decorations 

I will have to start taking down and packing all my Christmas decorations

I will have to start planning for my return to work and getting organized for the New Year

Everything the past two months leading to this season is over and done

However, this year is different for me

 Instead of being sad, bitter and horribly anxious that this season is over 

I am HOPEFUL

I am reminded that our true present is our Savior Jesus Christ

We don't have to wait just for Christmas to accept His gift

The Christmas season simply reminds us of this perfect gift 

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

His Love

His Peace

His Grace

His Redemption

His Forgiveness

His Acceptance

We can be hopeful

All year long

So I will be! 

I am hopeful that He has amazing things planned for me this coming year

I am hopeful that my life is going EXACTLY how He wants it

I am hopeful that I am being made and prepared everyday for His glory

That is one GREAT gift!

 ---------------------My Christmas in pictures!

Mom and dad say that Chris and I have to take pictures "with santa" until I get married- Oh geez

It has been quite the holiday break for me!
It started with a wedding on Dec. 21st

My sister was my wedding date-or maybe I was hers? :) 

My sister and I have always had a great relationship
But I will always remember our time together before the wedding
We had an amazing talk that I will never forget

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself that day

I did not exactly know what I was longing for or why I felt so empty

That night was definitely an answer to prayer

Being able to talk to my sister and be completely vulnerable was such a blessing

She knew exactly how I felt

We talked for awhile about our dreams, goals, and the desires of our hearts

It was exactly what I needed

What I prayed for

Just some good ol' sister bonding

I am excited to grow closer and stronger in our walk together

Me. Beth, Jordan, Amanda, Bailey
Another NBC girl gets married

Seahawks! Dec. 23rd the Seahawks beat the 49ers in a HUGE Division game!
Jace was just as excited like his auntie  

Christmas Eve night

Christmas night

Reading by the fire with my mom and CHristmas carols playing
I am learning to cherish all the moments being home
The little blessings in life 

I am so excited to start reading these books!

Greater
The Reason for God

And I am so in love with Jace I cant even handle it!
Look at that smile!
One of Christmas's best presents
#onlysecondtobabyJesus

The both love me don't let this one fool you!

Christensen cousins- missing Jon and Joey 

Christmas 2012 you were one to remember!

"I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in Your name, for Your name is good."

Psalm 52:8-9 

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Your power, Your Glory

^“I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.”

Psalm 63:2

Dear Jessie,

My plan for your life is unfolding before you. Sometimes the road you are traveling seems blocked, or it opens up so painfully slowly that you must hold yourself back. Then, when time is right the way before you suddenly clears-through no effort of your own. What you have longed for and worked for I present to you freely, as pure gift. You feel awed by the ease with which I operate in the world, and you glimpse My power and My glory.

Do not fear your weakness, for it is the stage on which My power and Glory perform most brittiantly. As you preserve along the path I have prepared for you, depending on My strenghth to sustain you, expect to see miracles- and you will. Miracles are not always visable to the naked eye, but those who live by faith can see them clearly. Living by faith, rather than sight, enables you to see My Glory.

 Love,

Your father

Living by faith, not by sight

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The Holiday Magic

Life lately has been quite busy  

I am constantly reminded to slow down

The world is not going to end (pun intnded) if I dont get everything done on my "to-do list that happens to get longer everyday

It is OK not have every present wrapped perfectly

It is OK to not bake everything on my list

It is OK to just stop and soak up this special time of year

Enjoy the Holiday

Enjoy the Magic

Enjoy His Presence

Last night my roomate Candice and I went on a spontaneous outing to se Christmas lights

I knew a Starbucks that was opened 24 hours so of course we got our peppermint hot chocolates first

We drove to a place called Candy Cane lane in Seattle

We drove the street and day dreamed what we would decorate when we get our own houses someday

We stayed up late but it was just what I needed

A perfect holiday filled night

Who doesnt enjoy this classic?!

I realized baking stresses me out, yet I still seem to always find myself baking during this time of year



I was squeezing, hugging and kissing Jaceman a little extra last Friday

My brother, Doug and I at my uncles holiday party for Seattle Community Theatre. 

And of course Christmas candles, Christmas music

Filling my mind and heart with the one thing that always brings me peace





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Christmas in Heaven

We will never understand why things like this happen

We only can cling on to God all the more

Cling on to His promise

Cling on to His love

His evertlasting, never forsaking peace, love and comfort

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds

Psalm 147:3

--------------------------------------------

I am praying with and for the world

I am mourning with the world

But honestly, it has taken me a few days to really comprehend what happened

Last night as I was praying
My radio on low as usual

 This song came on

"Christmas in Heaven"

 Is there snow falling down on the streets of gold
Are the mansions all covered in white
Are you singing with angels silent night
I wonder..... what Christmas in Heaven is like
Are you kneeling with shepherds before him now
Can you reach out and touch his face
Are you part of that glorious holy night
I wonder..... What Christmas in Heaven is like

Instant tears
Tears of sadness
Tears of pain
Tears of frustration

Why?

Why another terrible tragedy?

Heavy Hearts

Mourning

Griefing

Questioning

All part of the process

But never really fully understanding

After some minutes of sobbing, God began to reveal something to me
Through the terrible sadness we all are experiencing
Through our human pain and suffering on earth
It is a reminder that we are not home

They are HOME

They get to dance on streets made of gold
Play in the mansions covered in white
They get to sing silent night with the angels
and kneel with the shepherds
They get to touch the face of God
and experience a glorious Holy Night

They dont have to wonder what Christmas in Heaven is like
They get to experience Christmas in heaven
They get to experience their best Christmas ever
How sweet that is!

Dancing with angels this Christmas!

I pray for the friends and families of the victims.

I pray that they will seek the comfort of Christ and that He may give them a peace and healing that only He can provide.

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He from whom all blessings flow

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6

Come to me with your gaping emptiness, knowing that in Me you are complete. As you rest quietly in My presence, My light within you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is simply the prelude to being filled with My Fullness.

Therefore, rejoice on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have become your companions.

You may not realize at what point they joined you on your journey, but you will feel the beneficial effects of their presence. The perfect end to such a day is doxology of gratitude.

I am He from whom all blessings flow.

 -----------------------------------------------------------

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

Colossians 2:9-10

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Marriage and Mission

Since I have been on this blog journey of my own 
I have been fascinated by reading other blogs as well

I have my few favorites I like to read daily

I don't personally know any of them

but that is ok because in a weird, round about way I feel we are friends

They encourage me

They inspire me

They continue to give me hope for my future
They encourage me to deepen my faith
They inspire me to love deeper

And sounds like a good friend to me

For example, below is a post from a women about marriage

She and her husband are Christians who desire to serve Christ

Who love Christ with all they have

This post from Katie is exactly the kind of marriage I desire of my own someday

Read below and get inspired 

---------------

i preface this small and humble observation by merely pointing out i am no expert. 

that is, i've only been married one year to be exact. 

but in this one marvelous turn of the world,

where 365 moons have passed,

and we have only begun to learn the depths of care for each other,

a lovely truth has truly emerged so striking and so profound that I cannot deny it. 

ahh yes, and this is it:

we are better together, than apart. 

not just in the earthly sense which fills my most physical needs 

but in the most beautiful divine. 

when Kev and I began to talk about marriage, I began to wonder what the point of marriage was.  It wasn't because I had bad examples, far from that. Both sets of our parents have been married over 30 years and are unmistakably in love.

it was a deep sense of wondering how I could ever love God and people, more, being married.  

and then I got married and discovered that God's plan for marriage is just that. 

to work together as a team to radiate Christ's deep agape in a fuller expression. 

and herein lies the point of this small post. 

i so believe marriage is about mission. 

it's about being called by God as a team

to have a purpose higher than yourselves

to laugh and love and cry and journey with meaning

it's about fulfilling the great commission with your heavenly Love and your earthly dearest

and when we serve the Lord in tandem

and i watch kevin pick up a small child and swing him around

and read him stories

and pray with him

I am ever more in love with that radiant soul

because I am watching our Savior seep out of him

and that is glue. 

that binds. 

when we crawl out of our world

and together reach into the epic calling of Abba

is when we find life

and life together. 

henri nouwen says, 

"...marriage is foremost a vocation. Two people are called together to fulfill a mission that God has given them. Marriage is a spiritual reality. That is to say, a man and a woman come together for life, not just because they experience deep love for each other, but because they believe that God loves each of them with an infinite love and has called them to each other to be living witnesses of that love. To love is to embody God's infinite love in a faithful communion with another human being.”

to say that we've attainted this fully would be foolish.

no, no, we struggle on. 

but last night as we both shared how we desire this next year of our marriage to look,

we knew it was to be centered around mission. 

that all who encounter us would be covered in a higher, deeper, richer heavenly love. 

because marriage isn't just about pleasing our earthly selves,

it is about serving a divine King and living out His calling on our lives

together. 

and boy is it one great adventure. 

love Katie 

Her Blog "Hope Engaged" 

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Dream BIG my Darling

I found this gem on Pinterest

I feel like it should read this...

"Jessie, don't you remember I am a God who can do more in a second than you can ever imagine? Dream big, my darling. I will give you the desires of your heart all you have to do is keep pursuing Me and dream big. Let Me rock your world."

Dream I will...

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Ephesians 3:20

"Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

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Wherever You Go

Even though I walk through the darkest valley

 I will fear no evil, for you are with me 

your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

When the business of the season gets overwhelming 

When I get caught up in the worldly expectations 

When my dreams seem too big and out of reach

When my fear of failure overtakes my mind

I was reminded yet again to keep HIM my focus 

Keep HIM my on my mind 

Let Him lead me through this day

Step by step

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

John 12:26

Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:10 

When this happens, eventually I will learn to relax and enjoy this adventure of this journey together. 

As long as I stay close to Him, His sovereign Presence will protect me wherever I go. 

-----------------------

And what an adventure I am on

Sunday was a day full of Christmas festivities for our family

My brother and I LOVE traditions

A couple weeks before Thanksgiving we tag a tree

Then beginning of December we go cut it down

Every. Single. Year. 

My mom stays home, turns on the music and makes coffee for our arrival

We go to the McNeely's tree farm just outside of Enumclaw 

I love choosing the perfect tree

I love getting bundled up 

I love listening to Christmas music on the way 

I love the hot cider and candy canes 

I love walking through all the trees 

I love the smell of the trees 

I love getting my hands full of sap

I love everything about this tradition

I will admit, every year I always seem to have just one moment of sadness

Just one minute!

I cant help but think when I am married 

Will this tradition stop?

Can I still come with my dad and brother?

I don't want to stop

OK, come back to the present Jessie

Why worry about that?

I am going to enjoy this tradition and the memories we made and are making

I received this ornament last spring and finally am able to hang it up

I decided to hang it at my parents tree because this is where I will be for Christmas 

It is a special ornament so it needs to be in a special place

My parents home

After decorating our tree we headed into Seattle for dinner and Elf the musical

Every Christmas season our family enjoys one night out to enjoy the festivities

We love going to musicals at 5th Ave.

Beth and Kevin were able to get a babysitter!

But don't worry we were getting updates on our baby

So it was kind of like he was with us right? 

Seriously, how cute is he?!

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Saturday of Bliss

I slept past 10:30 which I haven't done in forever

It felt good to sleep in

I got out of bed

Lit some holiday candles

Ate breakfast, did my quiet time 

All on my own time

No pressing event 

No schedule that morning

Just me and Saturday

I say this all the time and I am sure my Instagram followers are tired of all my pictures

But I absolutely am in LOVE with Greenlake 

Every season I find myself saying "This is my favorite time of year!"

It is beautiful all year around

Something new, beautiful and exciting going on

This morning I ran around the lake 

Christmas music playing

Crisp, cold winter air

Trees turning from fall to winter

Leaves on the ground

The sun shining

It was pure bliss

I was planning on just hanging around my house with my roommates until the SPU mens game 

Then my friend Bailey called!

She was going to a store near my house

So we met up for coffee at none other than Starbucks!

We went to a Starbucks I haven't been too in awhile

A middle age man came up to us and started randomly chatting about how old he was and how he missed the bus

Lets just say I don't think he was all with it

It was quite an interesting experience 

We had quite the laugh afterwards

Nonetheless, we had a great time catching up and talking about upcoming events with our Bible study group!

Carrie Underwood one of my favorites!

I was driving back from Starbucks with Bailey listening to 105.3 or 106.9

Poor country music is totally getting the back burning

Even if there is a commercial on I put in a Christmas CD

Christmas music ALL THE TIME

It was one of those Saturdays where I woke up and felt JOY

Blessed

Thankful

Rested

Looking forward to getting our Christensen family tree today and then out in Seattle with dinner and  Elf the musical

LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR! 

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