I just finished watching Narnia: Prince Caspian with my family tonight. I really enjoyed it. I love reading and watching the Narnia series because I love how C.S. Lewis portrays Aslan. Aslan can be so gentle, yet he is certainly not a tame lion. During the movie, I was struck by how much Lucy was in love with Aslan. She was able to see him before any of her siblings could. I think part of the reason for that was because she was looking for him. And the when she met him again for the first time in over a year she said, "I've missed you so much, Aslan." Also at the end of the movie when it was time for her to leave Narnia, Lucy looked back at Aslan with sadness in her eyes. She couldn't bear to leave him. He, in return, gazed back at her with soft, understanding. He knew what she was feeling, and yet he also knew that it was time for her to depart for the time being. Lucy trusted Aslan so much. And that trust enabled her to step through the doorway and leave him behind.

Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He knows the depths of our hearts and has our best in mind. He loves us so much that He chose to come to earth—to be born in a lowly manger—and die for us. He restrained His power and let men pierce Him with nails and erect Him, naked, on a tree for the world to see. He purposed all this to save us from our sins and His righteous wrath.

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (I John 3:1)

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (I John 4:10)

So often I forget how much Jesus loves me. I need to be more like Lucy: hating to be parted from Jesus; always wanting to be near Him. Missing Him when I forget to do my devotions. Longing to see Him face to face; longing for His return.

So this Christmas season I encourage you to continue to seek Christ. To long for His return. And to meditate on what He has done for you.

Looking to my perfect Savior.

Christi Joy

Personalized Gift Cards

So I thought of a really cool idea the other day...and I think that this might finally be an idea that has NOT been invented yet. It seems like every time I think of a cool idea, it has already been invented. But this time I think I may have actually come up with an original idea.

Okay. So you know how there are personalized credit cards out there now? The ones where you can have one of your own pictures as the background? Well, I was thinking that there should be such a thing as a personalized gift card. Somehow (whether it be online or at a kiosk) there should be a way to make your own personal gift card. A gift card with a hand chosen picture on the front and maybe even a short message. That way when you give the card to a friend it will seem more like an actual gift instead of just a card with money on it. It will show that you care enough to put some time into their gift instead of just quickly picking out some random, pre-printed card. I don't know how easy it would be to create such a thing....but it sure would be cool.

Oh. And if you know of a place where you can create your own personalized gift card, please let me know.

Love

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

I Corinthians 13:4-7

When I read these verses, I realize how much I fall short. I am not perfect by ANY means (just in case some of you maybe thought i was...I am now publicly declaring that I am not perfect :P). I am so self-centered. I want things to go my way, and I become impatient and irritable when they don't (the exact opposite of love). I don't want to serve others; I want them to serve me. Yet, at the same time, I know that Jesus wants me to be patient. To serve others. To be understanding. I want to do what's right, but sometimes I do the exact opposite. It's like what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (verse 15)

and again,

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." (verses 18-20)

Jesus is continually at work in me. He is continuing to perfect me until His second coming. And although it is an agonizingly slow process, God has a lot to teach me on the way. It reminds me of that one song that goes like this:

"He's still working on me,

To make me what I oughta be.

It took Him just three days to make the moon and stars,

The Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.

How loving and faithful He must be,

'Cause He's still working on me!"

My love for others will never even be CLOSE to perfect until I reach heaven. But just remember that God's love for us will ALWAYS be perfect. No matter how much we mess up, He will always be there loving us.

Keep your focus on Jesus and He will guide you through each day!

Christi Joy