I absolutely love this time of year - I love the decorations, I love the food, I love the smells, I love the Christmas specials on TV and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. Seriously. I would play the stuff 12 months a year if it wouldn't drive eveyone around me completely crazy by February!
I love the music for 2 reasons - first, so many of the songs that play this time of year remind me of wonderful Christmas's of the past and literally warm my heart, and secondly, because it is the only time of the year that I can walk into almost any store or restaraunt and hear music playing that talks about the most important part of this season - the birth of Christ. There is no other time of the year where all over secular society we hear the truth, love and beauty of Christianity blasted through the speakers! It is wonderful!
Music has always been a way that I connect with my Creator - for me, listening to and singing praise and worship songs is one of my most intimate forms of prayer. And I love when I hear a new song that touches a new place in my heart. Two songs came out last year that did just that - Francesca Battestelli's "You're Here" and Chris Tomlin and Audery Assad's "Winter Snow".
"You're Here" looks at the miracle of Christmas morning through the eyes of a new mother - Mary. It is sung as if she is holding the newborn Baby Jesus in her arms, falling deeply in love with Him, both as her son, and her Savior. Almost brings me to tears everytime I hear it.
"Winter Snow" speaks of the beauty and power of the simple, quiet and gentle way that God chose to come to us. He could have come in any form, in any manner, and yet, out of love for us, He came AS one of us - entering our world as peacefully as a winter snow. I dare you to listen to this song and not be moved by the true Christmas Spirit.
Here is a link to "You're Here": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHKJ1aWt1J4
And here is one for "Winter Snow": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpHiAmL8-b0
I hope these songs add to the wonder and joy of your Christmas like they do to mine!!
Merry Christmas!!! Rejoice - Christ is born!!!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Open Call!!!
We FINALLY kicked off the 2011-2012 Life Teen year on Sunday night with a fun, crazy and prayerful night dedicated to getting us all reaquainted, welcoming our newcomers, and breaking open our theme verse for the year!
This year's theme is "Open Call" focusing on the relationship that God calls us into with Him and His Church and our theme verse for the year is James 4:8 - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you". I chose this verse because to me, it speaks very profoundly to the type of relationship that God desires with us and wants us to desire with Him. He does not simply ask us to "move" or "come" or "be" near Him - but rather to "DRAW" near to Him.
That word, "draw", has a much riched and deeper feeling to it than the others - when you are "drawn" to someone, it implies connection, relationship, mutual movement - it is a very organic and intimate way to talk about moving towards another person. And that is the key - the intimacy, the connection.
Have you ever know 2 people who seemed to be connected by some sort of invisible tether? Or seen that type of undeniable connection depicted in a movie, TV show, play or book? Is it almost indescriblable, but you know it when you see it - it is like a magnet is constantly pulling them together, despite their physical distance. I think of the scene in the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet - when they are at the big party with craziness all around them, but they see each other and there is this instant connection between them. Or the friends depicted in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" - they seemed to be bound to each other by an unseen force that defies distance and drama. In short, they are drawn to each other.
These types of relationships speak to something deep in our hearts - and something that is not there by accident. We all crave this type of connection, crave to be drawn into another being's universe - and we crave that because God put that desire in us so that we would seek Him out - because the kind of relationship I am describing is EXACTLY what He wants with us! He wants to be drawn into us and wants us to be drawn into Him. But because we have a God who will never force Himself on us, He will not just run to us, throw His arms around us and force us into this close relationship with Him - but He will, and does, continually invite us into a mutual relationship - He calls us to draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us. And that is a beautiful invitation.
So this year we will be exploring the ways we can draw nearer to God, and in turn Him to us, both in our personal prayer life and in the ways we live out that inner faith in the world! It is going to be a great year and I am SO excited that it is underway!!!
YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!
This year's theme is "Open Call" focusing on the relationship that God calls us into with Him and His Church and our theme verse for the year is James 4:8 - "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you". I chose this verse because to me, it speaks very profoundly to the type of relationship that God desires with us and wants us to desire with Him. He does not simply ask us to "move" or "come" or "be" near Him - but rather to "DRAW" near to Him.
That word, "draw", has a much riched and deeper feeling to it than the others - when you are "drawn" to someone, it implies connection, relationship, mutual movement - it is a very organic and intimate way to talk about moving towards another person. And that is the key - the intimacy, the connection.
Have you ever know 2 people who seemed to be connected by some sort of invisible tether? Or seen that type of undeniable connection depicted in a movie, TV show, play or book? Is it almost indescriblable, but you know it when you see it - it is like a magnet is constantly pulling them together, despite their physical distance. I think of the scene in the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet - when they are at the big party with craziness all around them, but they see each other and there is this instant connection between them. Or the friends depicted in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" - they seemed to be bound to each other by an unseen force that defies distance and drama. In short, they are drawn to each other.
These types of relationships speak to something deep in our hearts - and something that is not there by accident. We all crave this type of connection, crave to be drawn into another being's universe - and we crave that because God put that desire in us so that we would seek Him out - because the kind of relationship I am describing is EXACTLY what He wants with us! He wants to be drawn into us and wants us to be drawn into Him. But because we have a God who will never force Himself on us, He will not just run to us, throw His arms around us and force us into this close relationship with Him - but He will, and does, continually invite us into a mutual relationship - He calls us to draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us. And that is a beautiful invitation.
So this year we will be exploring the ways we can draw nearer to God, and in turn Him to us, both in our personal prayer life and in the ways we live out that inner faith in the world! It is going to be a great year and I am SO excited that it is underway!!!
YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, July 11, 2011
New Beginnings!
Its a new beginning here at Holy Famiy Parish! We have a new blog and a new Senior High Youth Minister - ME!
Check back here frequently - I will do my best to keep this updated with information about the happenings around HFK Life Teen, musings from the inner workings of my mind...., and other things to inspire your faith and draw you into a deeper relationship with our beautiful Savior!!
Pictures from our hike yesterday to Heather Lake are up on the photo website now! Go to http://www.hfklifeteen.org/ and click on the "Photos" link to check them out!
Join us every Tuesday and Thursday for office hours from 11-2 in the Teen Center - foosball, air hockey, frisbee, soccer, hanging out, and ice cream!!!
And don't forget about Breakfast with the Morning Star! We gather for Mass at 8:40 and then head over to the Bridle Trails Starbucks for coffee and fellowship! And your first beverage or food item is on us!
But most importantlly, never forget that YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!
Check back here frequently - I will do my best to keep this updated with information about the happenings around HFK Life Teen, musings from the inner workings of my mind...., and other things to inspire your faith and draw you into a deeper relationship with our beautiful Savior!!
Pictures from our hike yesterday to Heather Lake are up on the photo website now! Go to http://www.hfklifeteen.org/ and click on the "Photos" link to check them out!
Join us every Tuesday and Thursday for office hours from 11-2 in the Teen Center - foosball, air hockey, frisbee, soccer, hanging out, and ice cream!!!
And don't forget about Breakfast with the Morning Star! We gather for Mass at 8:40 and then head over to the Bridle Trails Starbucks for coffee and fellowship! And your first beverage or food item is on us!
But most importantlly, never forget that YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!
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