Silver bells... silver bells... it's Christmas time in my city!

It's 1:30 in the morning, and I ought to be sleeping. But I can't!

I don’t want to go to sleep yet. Tonight, I have an incredible peace. I suddenly have this vivid clarity, that right now there is NO where else I’d rather be, and nothing else I’d rather be doing. I am SO grateful that God has put me where I am, with the family/job/friends/school/city I have and belong to. After all,
Now is not forever.
This is the title of B. Reith's latest CD. I heard him at the FANTASTIC TobyMac concert I went to earlier this month, and now I want to chant this mantra to myself over and over and over until I really believe it. I won’t struggle with wild hormones forever, I won’t be single forever, I won’t be living at home forever, I won’t be in school forever, I won’t be a naïve teenager forever, I won’t be shy and insecure forever.

‘Cuz now is not forever.

Here is a picture from our church's Christmas program... my mom is second from the right. It was GREAT! Dancers and a school drum line and a wild heavy metal-esque version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I can't wait for next year!

When I took my sister out to check up on her horse and take care of stable duties, we spotted sundogs and I had her take a couple of pictures. They were NOT this vivid, though - just two little rainbow spots in the sky! She later upped the contrast and fixed them up and I think they are AMAZING! So this is what a sundog really looks like, huh? I am impressed, God!

Here's our silly puppy, Bobbie. We keep her bed under the cabinet, otherwise she will chew it up, but she loves to crawl underneath and just lay there and watch us. Every so often she'll wriggle around and change position to get more comfortable. It's so cute!

Lastly, I've been making Christmas cookies! Well... not really Christmas cookies, just cookies to eat at Christmastime. Snickerdoodles, jello cookies, applesauce cookies, and peppermint 'puffs'. They ended up being peppermint flats, but they are SO GOOD! I made them last night and I think I've eaten six already!

Yesterday I watched the Star of Bethlehem for the second time. It is AMAZING. I LOVE learning about Jewish tradition and how it affected the authors of the New Testament and the way we should understand the Bible today.
The website for this movie is http://www.bethlehemstar.net/. I highly recommend it!

Well, I should probably get to bed. I might finish another episode of Glee first, though. I've just started watching this show and I LOVE it. It does have some - okay, a lot of things I don't like, but it is more about the singing and less about the sex and catfighting and drama - that gives it an A plus in my book! Not mentioning any names, but my sister is currently obsessed with a certain teen drama (rhymes with 'gossip girl') and I HATE it. I'm so annoyed with Leighton Meester for going from Hangman's Curse to this crap! Her character is nasty!

Otherwise... tonight I am thankful for yummy cookies, a warm house, a God who sticks with me, a Savior who died for me, the internet, and mostofall for CHRISTMAS BREAK! I know I will be appreciating getting to sleep in tomorrow! Good night!