It's Almost Christmas?

Really? It's almost Christmas? How is that possible? It's still 85* everyday and I'm still wearing shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops, so everyone must only be celebrating Christmas in July here! Right??

Nope. My computer says it's December 22, 2012. All the decorations in our apartment, at church, and around the island say it's Christmas time. And the busyness of the past month points to the familiarity of a holiday season, too. I'm sure, however, that Tuesday morning will come as a surprise to me, still.

The past month has eaten me alive with conflicts, challenges, and the ever-steeper learning curve of life. Moments of joy, no doubt, like watching the sunset at the crater where I earlier watched the sunrise. And another highlight was having intern lunch with one of our associate pastors, Ben, a few weeks ago. He asked us, "What's the grandest thing the Lord has taught you during your internship so far?" I couldn't pinpoint one thing, but narrowed it to this answer: All the truths I've learned about Him so far are coming to life here. I'm learning new things, of course, but seeing how His promises actually work in my life has more of an impact on me for now. He promises that He knows what's best for me today and in the future. His instructions on dealing with conflict, while uncomfortable, really are the best way to handle disagreements with people. What He provides is what I need, and He helps me be content with just that. This month of humility has been difficult, but I am comforted to know I am walking with the Lord and He is working with me.

This month I have really enjoyed listening to Louie Giglio's sermons online. He's the senior pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, GA, and you can find his sermons online by going to passioncitychurch.com/watch. Here's a link to a sermon snippet I enjoyed last week: "Stars and Whales Song".

Also, one of my favorite TV shows is Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the other night he had the Dave Matthews Band on his show. They played their original song, "Christmas Song," to close out the show, and I was so glad to have seen it! I know, I'm behind the times since this song came out on their album 15 years ago, but since it's been around for that long, you can find it in many different places: youtube, spotify, pandora, itunes, etc. Here's a link to a version on youtube: "Christmas Song".

Hope you are enjoying this month and holiday season. Blessings-JM