"I Just Like Looking at the Stars"

Kyle and I decided it would be cool to go to the movies on Christmas day to see the last of The Hobbit trilogy. We were not disappointed but this post is not a movie review but rather what happened after the movie. As we were leaving the theater I got in the car and Kyle (along with a few other good people) stopped a young kid no older than 18 driving a ford truck away from the parked car that he has just hit. It wasn't a major collision but enough to damage the front of the car and he was ready to just drive away! Kyle had told him the right thing to do and whether of not he was going to do it was up to him. Kyle and I waited to see what he would do next. We saw him run inside the theater, talk to an employee, return to his car and drive away. We had already called the police to give his information and they had asked us to wait by the damaged parked car so we did. 

Now I was tired. The movie was 2 1/2 hours, it started at 10:30 and at this point in time, after all the waiting of watching this immature kid make poor decisions on how to handle this situation, I could have easily been so crabby and mad and tired, but it was such a nice opportunity just to look up. We waited a good 20 minutes for the officer to arrive and while we were waiting, the parking lot lights had turned off and I just stopped and stared at the stars. Oh my goodness how bright they were. I couldn't help myself but to tell Kyle "wow look at how twinkly the stars are". Stupid sounding, I know, but I was tired and couldn't think of a synonym for "twinkly". I then began to recall my astronomy class in high school and pointed out Orion's belt, Kyle made a Men in Black comment (the cat in the movie was called Orion) then we sat back and Kyle opened up the sunroof and we just starred at the stars (for a short time cause it was quite cold). 

It was such a simple gesture but that small action was so loving and opened up such a sweet conversation.  

"I just like looking at the stars thinking about how they're billions of miles away. Heard someone call it pinholes to heaven once. Makes you feel pretty insignificant in life."- Emily

"Yeah I was interested in looking up information about our galaxy and black holes. They're pretty cool to read about. It's weird to think about us here on this small planet, moving in a universe." -Kyle

We were in a movie theater parking lot, trying to do the right thing for someone and it turned into a wonderful time together. We could have easily drove home, said nothing, called no one, gone to bed and not be affected by it at all. Instead we appreciated the time together, we looked up and appreciated God's work. When the cop showed up and Kyle got out and wrote a statement, I continued to look up and started praying thinking about the God of the Universe and His infinite power and artistry in the sky. I remember people saying "why would God make all the universes and solar systems" and the best answer is if you're an artist, do you paint just to give to others or do you sometimes use your talent for yourself and your own pleasure? That's what God did, created a universe for his own glory and power. Looking out into the sky made me feel really small...but in a good way! We should be reminded daily that our problems are not real problems in comparison to how big the world is. We need to just enjoy the time we have together with each other, stop in our busy, hectic lives, and just look up at the beauty of our small world.

I have to admit, it was such a beautiful way to end our simple Christmas. I am thankful for the man I married that we can just stop and look at the stars together.

Commercialized Christmas

Ah Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year. Or is it? I ask every single one my guests at the bar what they are doing for Christmas this year and 85% of them have a less than enthusiastic response. What is is even more upsetting is that last night, I was treated like garbage the entire night at work all because of the people who were beyond cranky from their mall shopping experience. "I want a 50 dollar gift card! Where's my soup? Where's my burger?!" PEOPLE PLEASE I am doing everything I can to make your experience at my job and enjoyable dinner so please, don't treat me like your servant I am simply your server. So why has Christmas become such a nuisance? What happened to the child-like love for the holidays? Why have Americans become Scrooges and Grinches? GIFTS. The need to buy presents causes mass chaos in all department stores with trampling, greed, anger, frustration, and just the complete opposite of what Christmas should be about. In my perfect world we wouldn't get each other gifts and not because we wouldn't want to give to each other but because we would realize that we aren't the ones who need to be given things. I wish we could take the hundreds of dollars we spend on each other and give it to people who actually are in NEED of something. People who need food, clothes, household items.
Christmas should simply be about the CHRIST. I mean after all, that's why we celebrate it isn't it? The day the world received a savior? That's something to be celebrated, praised, worshipped, in awe at! Yet instead of focusing every day of December on the real meaning of Christmas we are too busy stressing ourselves out on what would be the best gift for all the people in our lives who already have everything that they need. SO PLEASE, I beg of you this Christmas Eve, don't buy in to the commercialized Christmas and lose sight of the joy in this season, the wonder, the magic. Look into the best gift that you could EVER receive from the man who came down from Heaven to save us from the constant need to impress and be apart of this world. Treat Christmas like thanksgiving and give thanks to be with your family and friends this Christmas Season!!!

"I celebrate the day that You were born to Die that I could one day PRAY FOR YOU TO SAVE MY LIFE"

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE 

Deathbed

It's interesting how in life we should really be focusing on our death because it will give us the insight on how to really live. Someone once said to me some wise words of "No one on their deathbed will be wishing that they worked more", or drank more, or partied more, or slept more, or bought more, and it really made me stop and re-evaluate where my mind was. Working 40 hour work weeks just to make ends meet or work to save money to have things that in my mind I "think" that I should have just doesn't seem like the right way to live. I've created this blog to breathe life in to the idea of living in the way that is that OPPOSITE of the world. After all, as a Christian we are called to be NOT of this world. And if you're not a Christian, this is just basic bettering your life choices! Being less stressed, less worried, and overall more happy. A lot of what America is about is getting rich quick, make money to buy stuff or getting an education to get a great paying job to buy all the things you want and don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with an education. There is nothing wrong with getting paid a lot of money. I just have to stop and think that when I know death is near am I really going to care that I made 100,000 dollars a year? Or am I going to look back and think "wow, I loved all the places that I lived/ visited" and "I love having all those wonderful family memories". There is so much more to this life because of the life that is happening after our deathbed. There needs to be a balance of spending too much money (what it is that you're spending it on) and saving it all for "rainy days".

I quickly just pinterested "how to live life" and the first 20 pins were all about money. How to save it, how to spend it, how to invest in it, how to not live paycheck to paycheck. That is DEFINITELY not what life is about and if anyone is going to tell you that money is what makes life go round, I feel sorry for that person for they will never truly live. Yes, you need to work to make money in order to afford necessities in life but what exactly are the necessities? Food, clothes, a roof and the things that need to work underneath that roof. That, to me, are all the necessities that you need in life. However there are variations to all those that can make life unbearable. You can want a mansion, yet not truly be able to afford heating and electric for it and end up bankrupt from that roof that you thought was a necessity. Kyle and I desire a small home, one that fits the necessities of life. A room to cook, a room to sleep, a room to relax. Small enough to heat or cool down without spending a fortune. Small enough where we don't have to work a million hours to just pay bills (and die). 

I want to explore. I want to move. I want to see the world. I don't care if my bank account gets to 100,000 dollars. I want to live my life for the life that is unseen. I want to be on my deathbed and think about my family, my small home, my explorations, and most of all my Christian walk with God. What do you want to see from your deathbed? Do you really think you're going to be thinking about your savings? Your bills? God explore, go see the world, go help people, go be free.