Are We Like the Innkeeper?

Are we missing what God may have for us in His plan because we are too busy?

I watched a new Christmas Bible Study series on the Casting Crowns' YouTube channel titled "How Are You Making Room for Jesus This Christmas?" based on their new song with Matt Maher, "Make Room."

They were all short videos, but there was a great message behind each one. I could personally make a lot of connections to my own life, so I thought that I should share a few and the resources, so maybe you can see some applications to your life and family, too.

The first video was a simple yet strong challenge to simply change the focus of your home or atmosphere. It seems obvious, but thinking about it, it's huge. When I change the music I am listening to, Instagram and Twitter accounts I look to each day, the notes I leave myself on my phone and in my room or textbooks, the thoughts I have, the way I look at the world, etc...wow it is a huge difference! Life seems better and calmer even when things are not that smooth and pretty chaotic.

Another point that I really liked to hear Mark Hall make in this intro video was that sure, we can still have all the fun holiday things, gifts, Santa, parties, songs, and whatever else, but we have to have Jesus first. That's what makes the difference.

The second video looked at the innkeeper. At first, while I was listening to him tell about Mary and Joseph's journey and the job of an innkeeper during this time with the census, I was wondering where he was going with that. But then it hit me. While people may look upon the innkeeper negatively because he turned Mary and Joseph away, he wasn't doing anything wrong; he wasn't a bad guy. He was just doing his job during the busiest working time of his life. So many people were traveling during this time, his guest rooms would have been in high demand. Mary and Joseph were just a couple more travelers, and there was no room. He was busy. And he missed out on being a part of one of the greatest plans God ever had.

Does this sound like your life sometimes? I can tell you that it is definitely my life many times! I am busy. Always busy. Mom gets frustrated with me because even in what could be some wonderful, relaxing times for me, I am busy with something. I never run out of things I could be doing. However, there are times, especially during the school year, that I am so busy I feel like I never sit down, and my brain is going on overdrive all day long, and I swallow my food whole like I haven't eaten in four days. Do I have time to open up my Bible? Time to take a deep breath and pray? I feel like I don't, but I do. I can make room. My inn may feel full, I can be doing lots of great things, but I can be busy and miss what God has in His plan for my life. Busy-ness isn't a sin in itself, but it can be a distraction for God's greater purposes right here in front of us. God can knock on a door, but He can't make us bring the opportunity inside.

In the third video, Mark talked about Jesus's life later on. People wanted rid of Him. He challenged the way the world worked, went against the status quo, He got in the way of how people wanted to live their lives and do religion. Why don't we always make room for Jesus? Because it gets in the way of how we want to do things in life. It's a challenge to our routines.

The final video made me smile as he told of his family's tradition of reading the Christmas story from Luke 2, because that's what my family always does as well. The Hall family has a nativity scene that sounded similar to what we also had on display, but they added a unique twist to both sharing the story and using the nativity. The parents would take the pieces and hide them throughout the house before the kids were up, then they would have a sort of Easter egg hunt with the pieces. Each person would have the piece(s) he or she found, and as they read the story from the Bible, each person would talk about it from the character's or animal's point of view. Imagine being a part of THE Christmas story! We may not be able to be a part of the birth of Christ, but we can be a part of many other miracles and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that God has in His story ever day.

So I am using this series as a challenge to myself when I get in the Christmas spirit in the future, as well as every day, to pause in what I am doing to breathe, pray, take my mind off of myself for a minute, and see what God may be trying to get me to see. I may feel like I can't slow my progress or I'll fall apart or behind, but God will take care of that. We have to look to Him first, then we will see.

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A Long but Wonderful Day

This was a very long time ago, but I have not had any time this second semester to update anything.  I had saved pictures to share about, so now I am adding the words!

My school does a job shadowing day for sophomores, so on March 6th, I went to work with my dad at Rich's, where he is the head cost accountant for the Morristown plants.  He has been working there for several years now, and I have learned lots of interesting things.  They make all kinds of foods for stores all across America.  The most well-known item they produce is probably the muffins for Dunkin Donuts!  They also make the best carrot cake I have ever had in my life.  It is full of real carrots, raisins, spices, and nuts.  That was even my birthday cake last year.  Whenever a product is being tested or has the slightest imperfection, they leave them on carts in the testing or break room for employees to have.  Sometimes they also sell them for a dollar or two to raise money for charities.  While I was there, dad sent me on tours of both of the plants to see the foods being made.  That is some industrial-sized cooking for sure!  That's not the job that I want to have, but it worked out getting to spend the morning with my dad.



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Below is my favorite muffin:  honey bran raisin!  They were running on the day I took my tour, so they let me bring a couple home.

When it was lunch time, Dad took me out to Subway to grab a big sandwich.  Then we also went to TCBY for dessert to fill the extra time before I had to go back to school.  My fourth block class has mixed grade levels, so there were still going to be people in there to have class with.  After school, I had to get out fast to do my track speed workout, because I had a concert to catch!  I ended up getting in a warm up and cool down, with 6 800s and 3 300s, all in time to be changed and ready when my mom and dad pulled in the parking lot at 4:15.  From there we headed to Cheddar's in Johnson City to meet some people from my parents' Sunday School class for dinner.  After that we went to Freedom Hall to see Casting Crowns on their Thrive tour.  I saw them in my first concert ever a couple years ago, and I was so excited to hear some new music from them!  Since I have been going to concerts, I have realized that people perform way more music than what we hear on the radio!  I had never even heard the song that is the theme for the tour, Thrive.  Another great song I heard for the first time was Just be Held.

Here are some of my favorite quotes/song lyrics from the night, that I also tweeted.  I found these very applicable to my life!

"Just to know You and to make You known

we life Your name on high

...

We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives

It's time for us to more than just survive.

We were made to thrive!

...

Joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable, love unstoppable, anything is possible!"

The other band who was with Casting Crowns on this tour was For King & Country.  I didn't know much about them before the concert except for some of their songs.   They are such a cool group of guys!  Very unselfish, humble, and focused on doing for others.

This was during one of Casting Crowns's most popular songs, Glorious Day.  It's one of my mom's favorites, too, so she was singing loud!  It's a beautiful song about how the love of Christ has saved us, His story, beginning to end, and one day ultimately when He comes back!

Not Quite "Love/Hate Relationship" with Storms

Everyone experiences different hardships in their life.  We may see some as much worse or much more menial than others, but they all affect us in our own way.  Praying for each girl on the cross country team last night, I had this neat analogy pop in my mind.

When I was a little girl, I hated storms; I feared tham like crazy.  I would cry and be so afraid.  When I woud have problems, pains, or things going wrong or not my way, I would worry, get angry, make worse decisions out of selfishness, and have a bad attitude all around. 
Now that I'm older, I don't always like when bad weather storms come, but they don't scare me; they are actually interesting and entertaining.  I find ways to enjoy myself and make the most of the change in atmosphere.  In the same way, as I have matured in my faith, I have come to appreciate the storms in my life, becuase I know that God sent them to "make all things work together for" my good (Romans 8:28).  I may not like the interruption that the difficulty may bring, but I have the power to go through it knowing the end result will be better than the beginning.  "The end of a matter is better than the beginning and patience better than pride."  Ecclesiates 7:8  I have learned to (at least give it my best shot to) be joyful in all circumstances, look for the good, make the most of every moment, and appreciate the low moments there to keep me humble, as well as the high moments.

If you are down in a rut, I encourage you to listen to this song by Casting Crowns called Praise You in this Storm.

Great Reads

One thing I love to do every day is read.  Some days it may be a lot, or on others just a little, but I love to read!  I like to read sports stories and devotionals the most because I feel like they apply to me.  These are some of my favorites!  Of course, the Bible is what I read first in my days, but I follow up with these for reading in free time.  I get Runners World magazine in the mail each month and it always entertains me with stories, tips, and recipes.