Christmas/New Years

Merry late Christmas! And happy sort-of-late new year! xD

Well, it was interesting, to say the least. But my heart is full of joy. c: This is going to be one awesome year, I just know it!

So for Christmas I got 2 books from Brennan Manning, who is a really challenging yet inspiring author. I got an iPod touch, which was pretty awesome, too! I got a bunch of clothes, too; my Mom (surprised? xD) has good taste. ^_^

So yeah, it was a really great Christmas present-wise, but also Jesus-wise. xD The Christmas Eve service was one of the best nights of my life. I want to go every year. It was so beautiful, and I felt so close to Jesus. <3

And on New Years Eve I went to see my Grandma, which was nice. She is really healthy for 85! She's turning 86 the same day I turn 16. We are exactly 80 years apart. Pretty nice. x) Sad that I will never remember my golden birthday (birth date the same as the age you're turning), but oh well. xD I had it when I was 2. 

I also went downstairs for almost 2 hours to ring in the New Year with Hansi, our elderly neighbor. :) I drank wine for the first time with her... o.o xD It was good! I didn't get light-headed, I just had un-restful sleep. I was really nervous to drink it, and I don't know why. I guess because it's so frowned upon in the common-Christian community. :P But during it, I felt fine in my Spirit. I remember asking God, "Why are you so close to me now?" I don't think He frowns upon drinking; just getting drunk, as Solomon said in Proverbs. I bet He drank when He turned that water into wine. I don't think He would've done that if He thought it was wrong to drink.

Also, Hansi is a Jew. And she mentioned that she doesn't believe Jesus is the son of God. I was tempted to get into a discussion with her, but it was obvious that she wasn't willing to listen, so I kept my mouth shut. (And that was because of Jesus. xD) She believes God is her salvation, so I can't really say whether or not she will go to heaven or not. I'm not the judge, which is a true relief. It was nice to agree with her on the points she had right. I remember her telling me, "We Jews believe Jesus isn't the son of God, but He is a good teacher." And I just nodded and said, "He is a good teacher." And it was a really nice moment. I can't explain why, but it was. We talked about Jesus further, too, and it was super nice. And to see her happy was really nice. c:

I never felt that way before. I mean, sure, I knew that I was doing the right thing for someone before, but I never did that off of the internet. xD I know that sounds stupid, but the majority of my social interactions (other than my family) are on the internet. No matter how sad that sounds, it's true. So doing that off the internet just felt more... real. It felt really good. I met a new side of Jesus that day, as well as a new side of Hansi. I was so blessed that day, and the benefits are being reaped even now. ^_^ 

Jesus and I have been so close lately, in a new way. His love has inspired me to be... better. I never felt it that strongly before. And I want to do more. I'm required to do more. I want to be His fully- it's scary, but I want it. No matter what it takes, Jesus; use me through my fear. Courage is not the absence of fear.