'tis the season to give of our hearts...

December is almost here, which means Christmas is around the corner. Everyone is making their lists and and checking them twice... errr two, three times. The malls are getting crowded. Everyone is carefully figuring out their December budget because we tend to spend so much in this month; but for good reasons. We want to show our loved ones how much we care, so we want to give them the best gift possible. We also hope someone loves us enough to get us that one thing we have been waiting for all year. It is hard not to think about what we want at Christmas time.

This year is almost over, and for some reason I’ve been especially emotional about things. I know, you think it’s because I’m a female. But this emotion is different. God has done some life-changing things in my life this past year. He has given me joy, heartbreak, pain, opportunity, struggle, wisdom, hope, but most importantly, growth. My life has done almost a complete 360 from my life just one year ago. God has really been showing me what is most important in life. I feel I have grown more in this last year than at any other time in my life. I know the reason for this is because I finally learned to put God before anything else in my life. 

It feels so good to know that the decisions I have made have been what God wanted for my life, not anyone else. I have also learned that God’s way is never the easier way. But I am grateful, and I would not change a thing. God has given me above and beyond what I deserve. He has given me a peace that no person, thing, or level of success could ever bring me. I now know why I want my education so badly. Not to have the best job, or the coolest car, or to say I'm smart;  but simply to make a difference in the world. I have finally learned what this season, and my life is all about. My purpose is to serve Jesus and my life goal is to help people in need. 

 I have always known that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday, and that’s the reason I celebrate. But this year, it means more to me. It is more than just spending time with our families and hanging out with our friends. Yes, that is a big part of it, but that is not all. I have learned that it is a time to give. Not just giving of our things, but giving of our hearts. It is a time when we can spend less time at the malls, and more time helping those less fortunate. I know that I have more than so many other people just in my small community.

 I want to have one less gift for myself so that a family can have a Christmas dinner. I want to have one less cute jacket so that someone else can stay warm. I want to spend time with people that are lonely this season. I want to help people in my community in any way that I can, so that they can see what the love of Jesus means. I’m learning that this life is not about proving myself to anyone, it is not about impressing the world, but it is about doing the things Jesus would do. It’s about humbling ourselves enough to put other’s needs before our own. It’s about realizing that life is not always fair, but we always have the opportunity to help someone in need. So I ask you, what will you go out of your way to do this holiday season to truly bless someone’s life?

A Clark Christmas....

Yes, decorating our first Christmas tree together is blogworthy =) Marcos and I got a hand-me-down fake little tree from my parents but it is just right for our first little apartment. It leans a little and it almost fell over like five times while we were decorating it! We were listening to good old Christmas carols on our t.v. to set the mood... it was fun and Marcos laughed at me when I told him we had to take pictures of our first christmas tree ever. I told him that this night would never happen again so we have to capture the moment! I love my husband. We had fun. And the cool marshmallow ornament was a gift from Marcos' mom and dad. How cute! We are excited to spend our first Christmas together as Mr. and Mrs. =)

Happy Hearts...

It's simple. This weekend the Nehemiah Projekt made some hearts happy in the High Desert. God used his people to build up a community and give hope. I know that God is real when I see people helping other people. I hope we never get too busy to show the world that we genuinely care. Sometimes things that seem so little to us can make such a huge difference in someone else's life, and I love when God slows me down enough to remind me of that.

Concert in the Park for Foster Children

Lord, break my heart.

Well tomorrow is the Nehemiah Project. I am excited to do the concert in the park for the foster  children. Tonight we gathered at High Desert Church to pray for the different projects and discuss what we will be doing tomorrow. Pastor Paul said something that fell heavy on my heart. He said he hopes we do these projects from our hearts and because we care, not just for a pat on the back or to say we gave up a Saturday to do something good. It really made me think. 

When I go to the park tomorrow, I hope my heart breaks. I hope I look into those children's eyes and see pure joy. I hope their lives will be changed. I hope their little hearts will understand how much they are loved. I hope I am reminded of how blessed I am. I hope everything I do in this life will not give me the glory, but will give God the glory. We have become so accustomed to the ME society, that it is hard not to do things out of selfish motive.  I want to truly give, every time I give. I want to truly love, every time I love. I want to truly listen, every time I listen. And I want to truly serve God, every time I serve. Thank you Jesus for humbling me even when I don't think I need it. Help us to serve our community whole heartedly and with a love that comes only from you. 

My most precious blessing....

“A magnificent marriage begins not with knowing one another but with knowing God.” 

-Gary and Betsy Ricucci

What does my marriage mean to me?

I thank God everyday for allowing me to fall in love with him completely before giving  me a spouse. I knew that before I found a Husband, I needed to first love Jesus whole heartedly. I needed to die to myself and surrender every part of my life to Jesus, even the things I wanted control over. I had to put Jesus before any other person or situation in my life. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. God has never tested my heart the way he did when I told Marcos I loved him. But I had also never been more sure of anything in my entire life. It was God who led Marcos into my life. He was a man made in God’s image. A man who also loves the Lord whole heartedly, a man with a servant’s heart, a forgiving man, a responsible man, a loyal man, a man who would put anybody before himself. When God told me Marcos was going to be my life partner, I felt a peace in my heart that I can only compare to the peace I felt when I let Jesus into my life. 

 After we were married, reality hit. There was one more thing I learned about Marcos. I discovered Marcos wasn’t as perfect as I thought. But an even bigger suprise: I found out I wasn’t as perfect as I thought. We experienced things with each other we would have never known without getting married. We had some arguments and said some things that hurt. Bottom line, I had no idea how selfish I was as a person until I got married. And to think, this is only the beginning! But here is where I see the beauty. I see both of us growing and maturing spiritually. We began to rely on God more heavily now.  If Marcos and I had no flaws, we would be perfect like God. But we are both Sinners in need of a savior just like every other human on this Earth. Marcos and I get to go through life together helping each other grow, learn, and become the best people we can be. Marriage is a sacred place where we are able to become more like Christ. In no other relationship are we able to practice so many characteristics of Christ. We are now thinking about another individual’s needs and feelings before ourselves, something that we never truly knew how to do before. We are learning humility and forgiveness. And we will continue to learn new things about each other and ourselves with every day that passes. 

Realizing no one is perfect has been one of the biggest signs of my spiritual maturity. I know I have only been married for a little over 3 months and I have SO much more to still experience with my husband, but here is what I have learned so far. I want to be able to look back on this one day and see where my marriage started, and journal my experiences along the way. We may not know everything yet, but I am confident that we are headed in the right direction.  I am so blessed to be married to Marcos. He is my best friend, my teammate, my spiritual leader, my lover, my teacher, my favorite person.... the list could go on for days. But the one thing that will stay at the top of my list is that Marcos is my gift from God. He is my most precious blessing.  God gave him to me to love, cherish, and take care of until the day I die. There is no other person in my life that will help bring me closer to God than my Husband. So what does my marriage mean to me? My marriage is the life-long journey that my husband and I will travel together for the purpose of making ourselves, and others, more like Jesus Christ. It is a living testimony of our commitment to the Lord. Thank you Marcos for loving me unconditionally and Thank you Jesus for My Marriage. I Promise to care for it the way you care for me. 

A world in need of a Savior....

Last night my husband and I were watching a show on A&E called Intervention. The show is pretty graphic and even disturbing in certain areas. It is about people who are heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol, and it portrays the devastating affects it has on these individuals  and their families. Growing up, I had a great upbringing and a very loving family. As I get older, I realize how sheltered I was. But I think I was sheltered in a good way. My parents wanted the best for me and they wanted to protect me from the millions of evil things in this world until I was old enough to handle them. Now that I am an adult, and I am exposed to these kinds of things, I understand what is going on and it makes me realize even more how much this world needs Jesus. 

 

As Christians, I think we get caught up at times in our Christian circles of friends and forget about the rest of the unbelieving world. We start to focus on other Christian's flaws and how they need to be better people. We even try to think of ways we can look more holy or how we can be more spiritual than our Christian friends. When I see shows like Intervention, my heart breaks. It is so sad to me that these individuals are so hurt, so broken, that they no longer care about themselves or anyone around them. I think about my problems and how petty all of them seem. It feels good to step out of my little Christian bubble and see the real problems in this world. It makes me want to focus all my energy on the non-believers. There are so many broken lives out there in need of a Savior. 

I know this sounds naive of me, but I just wish I could take those people in my arms and show them Jesus' face, and let them know that everything will be okay. Although the show is graphic and violent, I'm glad to see families coming together to do everything they can to try and break their loved ones of these addictions. It is also things like this that remind me of how merciful our God is and how grateful I am for the cross. I hope that one day people will have the joy and hope that Jesus has given to me, and everyday I will do my best to show others how good our God is by the life I live. 

I love when God shows me one side of the spectrum, then shows me something completely different from what I’m used to seeing.  To me, that is God’s way of showing me balance. The show Intervention reminded me of a dark, lost world in desperate need of Jesus. And how these people should be the focus of our attention.  All I wanted to add was that I am very grateful for my believing friends as well. I could not grow spiritually like I do without these people. They challenge me and teach me things everyday that lead me to totally rely on my heavenly Father.  My point is that God continually reminds us of how important every situation and every person is in our lives whether they are good or bad. Balance is one thing I never want to lose in my life. It is God’s way of keeping me open-minded but grounded at the same time. I think this is extremely necessary in the diverse world we live in. Thank you God for reminding me of this today. I am grateful.

Hope everyone has a great day!

"Three rules of work:
Out of clutter find simplicity;

From discord find harmony;

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

-Albert Einstein

Powerful Stuff...

So, this video was played at my Grandparent's church in Arizona recently, then I saw it again on a friend's MySpace page... It is a very powerful video, and every time I watch it, I can't keep the tears from falling down my face. I think this paints such a beautiful picture of how meaningless our lives are without the mercy and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father. Usually I like to post things that are light-hearted or funny, but this video was too good not to post. Sorry if it is a little intense, but please watch the whole thing through. Don't forget the turn up your speakers. See if you don't get the chills. 

"Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6

Hands and Feet of Jesus.

Don't forget to sign up for the Nehemiah Projekt, our community is in need of our help. The date for the Projekt is Saturday, November 17th! Hope to see you there!

"Nehemiah was a man who served his nation about 445 B.C. In a time of national struggle and spiritual crisis he united his people in a strategic work, which transformed their city. History records that prior to developing a detailed strategy, Nehemiah personally surveyed the city and found that the walls were broken down. Nehemiah’s heart was broken and he began to rebuild what was broken.The walls of the high desert are broken and it is the call of our Seven community to go out and share the love of Jesus with the high desert. We do this not only with our words, but with our actions.

We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a broken world.

We are to rise up and BE the church, not just come to church.

We are to be a generation of action.

We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Our hope and vision is to reach out into our community simply by doing good things without any strings attached.If you’re interested in learning more about the Nehemiah Projekt, or to sign up, stop by the Nehemiah Projekt table in the lobby on Sunday night. If you have any questions, please email us at nehemiah_7@verizon.net. "

(HDC Website:http://www.highdesertchurch.com/253258.ihtml).