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Blogger: Shonna Crawford, Assistant Professor of Education (Literacy)
Date: 12/13/2011
Be A Gift
Finals are almost over. Everyone is so ready for our much anticipated Christmas Break! You might be most excited about traveling home to see friends and family, eating more Christmas Cookies than you can count, watching your favorite football teams or Christmas movies or waking up Christmas morning to find just the gift you wanted under the tree. But before all the festivities begin, think about what you have to give during this Christmas break.
So often during this holiday season people will ask my children over and over again what they hope to GET for Christmas. Now, I really don't mind them asking, but it's gotten me thinking this season... what if we all focused on what we can GIVE? What if each time someone approached my children during the holidays they asked, "What are you excited about giving this Christmas?" How much would this impact their mindset when it comes to Christmas?
After all, the first Christmas was definitely all about giving, right? Jesus wasn't born hoping that the wise men would hurry up and arrive so he could get something. He was born to give! He came into the world and left the world as the most amazing gift we could ever hope for, a gift we could never deserve or earn. What an unbelievable impact this has had on all of us...on all humankind!
So, whether you travel near or far this Christmas, be thinking about how you can be a gift! No matter if you feel too young or too old, no matter if you feel rich or poor, no matter if you feel loved by those in your life or wronged by those in your life, and no matter how good or bad you think you've been this year - you have so much to give this holiday season! And when you are a giver, you are a blessing to be around! Think of how relaxed and refreshed you'll feel when you return to school next semester having been blessed abundantly by being a blessing to your family and friends! You've already been given the best gift of all, so what are you waiting for? Try it! Be a gift!
"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord...'" Luke 2:10-11
Blogger: Shonna Crawford, Assistant Professor of Education (Literacy)
Date: 11/9/2011
A Dream About God's Promises
A Dream About God's Promises
Last week I had a dream (which is not unusual at all). I dream very vivid dreams all the time, so much so that I was captivated by the movie "Inception" because my dreams seem so intensely real to me. Any person in the psychology field would probably love to analyze all the crazy dreams I have. While some dreams I have are far-fetched or scary or nonsensical (or all of the above), the dream I had last week was saturated with the truth of God's word! The dream ended with someone I respect and admire telling me that I needed to hold on to the promise that God had given me.
This dream really got me dwelling on the promises of God. Lots of questions came to mind: How do you know when something is a promise from God? How do we stay focused on God's promises for us without getting distracted? How do we keep from becoming so wrapped up in our own promise from God that we forget about those in need around us? This led me to do some digging around in the Bible for some TRUTH about what God says about his promises...
Hebrews 10:23-24 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Isaiah 38:7 -- "This shall be a sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised."
These are just a couple of verses that really spoke to me because they seemed to answer the questions I had raised about the promises of God. We can know something in our lives is a promise from God because he is faithful and he will do the thing that he has promised! We stay focused on God's promise by confessing our hope or speaking positively and in faith about our circumstances. It's also our responsibility to meet together to encourage others in love, and to do good works! I got so excited thinking about how much God loves each one of us, because not only will he be faithful to his promise, but he will also use each of us in a powerful way to encourage those around us!
If God has given you a promise, I pray this is a challenge to you as it was to 29 beautiful girls in one of my classes earlier this week! God has given you a promise. Don't spend time coveting the promises God has given to others around you...encourage them and stir them up to the good works God has for them! Don't take your promise for granted, but be sure to encourage those around you, speak positively about your circumstances, and believe God will do what he says he will do! And be sure to surround yourself with others that will do the same.