Hello, Goodbye: A Year of Transformations

2016 is getting a lot of hate from the human race right now. For me, 2016 was the crowning year of God bringing little things into my life and making them really big, life-changing things! Which is awesome if you think about it.

Martin Hospitality. While it didn't fully begin or end this year, I mostly wrote, edited, and self-published this baby in 2016! I kept opening my computer and that transformed me from a writer into an author. It was a discipline and a journey and an adventure. One that is all the more awesome because it's from God through me to you.

I have had this blog for just over 10 months now. Before that all I did was ramble ideas in a notebook. I promise it feels like I've known all of you all my life and that it's perfectly normal to meet you all in the flesh for the first time in my head every day. I've never had a greater joy than being able to share common thoughts and talk with all of you weekly. I never thought I could enjoy blogging, but I underestimated all of you.

 This was thrilling. I graduated high school in May. I didn't want to have a party at my house because I don't like parties for me. I hesitated to join my co-op's because I don't like crowds. I joined the co-op's due to lack of creativity and it was amazing. I got to graduate with all my classmates of 4 years with my family and friends there. I received an actual diploma from my parents and a booklet with photos and biographies of all the faces that surrounded me once a week throughout high school. For liking school, I haven't missed it.

I also turned 18 back in August. And to answer what both my grandfathers ask me every year, yes I feel older. Graduation, attending a writing conference ... all of that was only the beginning. I have been given permission to call certain adults by their first names. I do things on my own, by myself like an adult more often. It's scary most of the time, but it's really freeing at the same time. Like this is what my entire life has been leading up to.

Don't mention this one to my mom. I only just got my driver's license a few days ago. So far she has let me drive to the Walgreens at the front of our neighborhood once completely by myself. But that's just because she ran out of eggs in the middle of holiday baking. I had to borrow my sister's phone and my brother's money, so what does that tell you? 

God bless Goodreads. It has saved my reading life this year. I set a goal for 50 books and I reached it!(Possibly today.) Being able to track, review, and recommend the books I love has been an awesome experience. I'm not quite sure how I got so many book read, but I look forward to conquering at least as many next year as well.

Yay! I decided last year that if I could pick a career to pursue it would be manuscript editing. Thanks to my blog and meeting many new friends through it, I have gained experience. Due to my own studies, reading, and edits received, I have grown in my understanding of the skill. Beginning tomorrow, I am going to begin charging for my services as an editor. There will be a complete blog page with details once I get back from vacation.

Goodbye 2016. You were truly

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

~ Romans 12:2, NKJV ~

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No matter the quality of your 2016, I think 2017 is only going to continue to transform. Tranform our relationships with God, our talents, our dreams ... hello 2017.

The Symbolism of Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve! I'm here with another Christmas post to encourage you to reflect on the symbolism of all the traditionally festive items that make up the Christmas spirit. There may be more to some of them than you thought! But this is not an exhaustive list ;)

What is one thing that is essential to Christmas and is not used throughout the rest of the year? (That last phrase was to keep you all from guessing "food.") A Christmas tree!! We have a real Christmas tree this year and it's glorious ^.^ There's a whole lot of the Biblical story wrapped up in Christmas trees, even though I'm pretty sure there were no evergreens in Bethlehem. At least not wintry ones.

First, there's the fact that we only use evergreen trees. Cedar, firs, pine ... you have options. The whole point of evergreens is that they don't turn brown with the season changes. They only do that when you cut them down and stick them in your living room, but even then it takes a few weeks. Undying life. What does that remind you of? Even death could not conquer Christ, and the promise of His coming goes back to Adam and Eve when they were removed from the tree of life. Through Christ, we're reconnected to God, because He lived after He died and God's love for us is undying. Life and death is a big theme in the Bible's overarching story :)

Christmas trees also are triangular. Not really, but in 2D form they are. I can't remember where I read this, but I believe that trees were first used in early Christian Christmas services because the leaders of the church believed the tree was a sign of the trinity: three points, all equally crucial to the tree. I'm pretty sure this tradition didn't begin until the 16th century, but only in certain regions of the world. Before then, other pagan cultures used evergreen branches as part of their winter festivals, so it took a while for all churches to accept that Christmas trees weren't, in fact, a pagan practice.

What I would consider the second most essential item to the Christmas spirit is lights. They're so warm and twinkly and fun. Some people go all out with strobes, projectors, inflatables, and all of that to elevate the Christmas spirit. Adults really get into it! I personally like the warm white Christmas icicle lights and the ones that line roofs. But lights are lights! Jesus was called the Light of the World. He brought light to overcome the darkness of man's spiritual condition. The metaphor that appears all throughout the prophecies and fulfillment is intentionally a part of our celebration today.

There's also presents! My littlest brother cannot wait to start opening the presents stacking up under our tree. (We've had to re-wrap a few.) While gifts seem to go along with some celebrations, like birthdays, they have a deeper meaning for Christmas. First, the wise men brought gifts to Jesus when they visited Him. He was probably around two at the time just like my littlest brother, so I'm sure He was excited! Gold, frankincense, and myrrh may not sound like much to get excited about as a two-year-old, but they were very valuable. Second, Jesus is the most precious gift we as a human race have ever received. Maybe try giving a little of Him this Christmas season.

Now we get to food. :D Specifically, candy canes. We own the most precious Christmas book ever called The Legend of the Candy Cane and it's amazing. Have you ever thought about a candy cane as anything more than a Christmas candy? I probably wouldn't have either, but I've read this book every year for as long as I can remember, so I'm not ever going to forget now! First, a candy cane is the shape of a crook. Like a shepherd's crook? Hm, yes :) And if you turn it upside down it looks like a certain letter of the alphabet that Jesus begins with. I have no idea if candy canes were created to represent the Biblical story, but it works out rather well.

The traditional red and white stripes also represent something: Jesus's sacrifice. You probably remember that the scourging He received before His crucifixion is often referred to as "stripes." The red candy stripe represents the blood sacrifice He made on our behalf and the white represents our perfectly clean condition once we apply that sacrifice to our lives.

Let's not forget the true meaning of Christmas as we have fun celebrating with family tomorrow. Merry Christmas, everyone!

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Hopefully you enjoyed that and some of the symbolism was new to you :) What is your favorite part of Christmas? Do you have a favorite Christmas memory?