Dropping the ball

I feel like I sort of dropped the ball this Christmas. I preach it to myself and others every year-- "Jesus is the reason for the season." I didn't feel like it'd be a struggle for me as I get older. I'm no longer counting down the days to open my presents or comparing whether my sister and I got the same amount. After some research and some tough questions from friends who do not celebrate Christmas, Jack and I even decided to do away with all of our Santa memorabilia. Surely with not getting caught up in gifts and Santa Claus, I'd done away with the distractions from Christ this Christmas... Right?

Wrong.

A new challenge presented itself. Every newlywed must go through it. It's the most wonderful time of the year, yet it can also be the most stressful thanks to an ever-growing family now that we are married. Don't get me wrong, both of our families have been great in understanding our new situation of living farther away and still figuring out how to do holidays as a married couple. They've been quick to express that they have no expectations for us to meet, and we couldn't be more thankful for that. The problem was me. My horrible attitude. How can I be a 23-year-old who is still just as selfish as the same 7-year-old who counted numbers of presents? I let all the driving, all the packing and unpacking, all the laundry, and all the hustling around just get to me. I completely lost sight of why we celebrate. I wasn't focused on Jesus at all. I was too concerned with MY feelings, MY hardships, and ME, ME, ME. The worst part is that I took it out on my family. I wasn't prepared for all that this Christmas would bring, and I didn't look at my current situation with a Christ-like attitude.

I've known it all along, but how quickly I forget that HE is there to get me through anything. It could've been as simple as praying away my stresses, diving into His word a little bit deeper, even asking my brothers and sisters in Christ for encouragement and prayer. But I decided I could get through my stressful situation (the holidays) on my own.

Wrong again.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! He taught me so much at our church service here in Conway on Christmas morning. He revealed the ugly selfishness that had been in my heart throughout the holiday season and brought me back to the basics of Christmas. Who cares if we have to drive a little extra now? What difference does it make if I have to get up a little early to pack or do an extra load of laundry? Jesus gave up his life-- HIS LIFE-- by coming here to us on that miraculous first Christmas day. Can't I give up my own self-centered feelings to reflect on His goodness?

I dropped the ball, but thankfully, my Savior picked it up for me and got it rolling again. Not just this season, but EVERYTHING is about celebrating Him and what He's done for us. The hustle and bustle of holidays or of life itself should not rid us of experiencing His joy and praising Him daily.

Now, as we await another ball drop (Hello, 2012!), I don't want to lose sight of my Father and Best Friend. It's not a New Year's resolution, it's a life revelation. I'm finally ready and willing to put aside myself and focus on my Lord in ALL areas of my life. I'll drop the ball again, but He'll be standing right there to pick it up for me. And with His help, I'll be more open to let Him do it right away this time.

Merry Christmas!

Time for an update...

It's been a long time since my last post. I'm SO thrilled to say that I now have semester #1 of grad school under my belt! I can't begin to express what a weight has been lifted off of me as I get to relax this holiday break. No more worrying about finding enough time to study or reading textbooks until my eyes burn (at least not for another month). The weirdest part about my break, though, is that Jacky doesn't get a break like I do anymore. Hello, real world. While I have a month off of school and work, he only gets a total of four days. Not enough!! I miss him, but I'm so proud of him. Seeing him during his lunch breaks makes my day (and hopefully his) so much brighter! With all this free time, I've been cooking and baking, catching up on laundry and other housework, and cleaning out my second home--my car! I think I'm also going to go buy the Hunger Games series to read over the break. I've heard only wonderful things about it, and the movie looks awesome. Any thoughts???

Jack and I have been learning a lot about dealing with holidays as a married couple. Last weekend we split time between his family in Marshall and my family in Bentonville. We loved seeing everyone and made some wonderful memories! However, we've learned that we don't want to split one weekend between families anymore, if possible. It would be much more relaxing to just spend an entire weekend in one place instead of spending 6+ hours on the road. This weekend will be even crazier: we'll be in Bentonville the 23rd and 24th, come home to Conway to wake up here together Christmas morning, then off to Marshall for the 25th and 26th. It'll be fun, and we can't wait for more precious moments together and with family... but we (hopefully) won't be doing holidays like this again. :) We're very grateful, though, to be able to live close enough to both families to see them often. We know that we are very, very blessed!

One more exciting thing we're looking forward to this winter break is the COTTON BOWL! Go Hogs! Our tickets came in today, and we can't wait! We have family and friends in Dallas, so we'll be making a fun weekend trip out of going to the game. And hopefully I can get some good Dallas shopping out of it!

Jack Tyler, Maggie, and I wish you all 

a safe, fun, and blessed holiday season!