What Can I Give?

If there was no gift giving during Christmas that would be okay with me. That's probably why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, it's all about the family and being thankful for our abundant blessings. Often during Christmas I fall into the trap of focusing on gift giving and put celebrating Jesus aside. This Christmas, more than others, I struggled to find "the perfect" gift for my parents and was left completely stumped and frustrated. Then I realized something, the "perfect gift" is Jesus, who was sent into this world on our behalf 2,000 years ago. He is the only perfect gift we should be celebrating. I really want this Christmas to be different. I want for everyone to focus on His presence not our presents. This poem is what I came up with, I am giving it to my parents this morning on Christmas.

What Can I Give

What can I give the one who gave me the world?
All I’ve ever asked for since I was a girl.
What can I give the one who gave me life?
Who comforted me through struggles, sickness, and strife.
What can I give the one who held me and watched me grow?
From my childhood til now, and then let me go.
What can I give the one who asked for nothing back?
How can I find a gift? Is there anything you lack?
What can I give the one whom materials would be nice?
But the right gift I can not find. A present will not suffice.
What can I give the one who sacrificed for me?
Indebted to you I am and will forever be.
What can I give the one whom I love more than all others?
A love even deeper than sisters and brothers
What can I give the one who deserves a present from my heart?
A gift that shows how much I love you; this poem is a start.

So now, I give my love, the greatest of these.
All I want is for you to feel pleased.
I give my appreciation, for your miracles on earth,
That you may know your inexpressible worth.

Rosebud Heart

Okay, so I dont normally do this, but I am posting one of the poems I wrote for my creative writing class this semester. I used to write poetry all the time when I was younger and thought I would bring it back.

Let me know what you think!

Rosebud Heart

It is Fall, your petals fall like feathers to the ground

Slowly, down, down, down

Once beautiful, bright, and blooming in full,

Begin to change shades, dying daily, looking dull

Once kept alive by the one who pruned you,

Being alone is not what you are used to

So lively before, but now you seem changed

Something is different about you, rearranged.

I see your suffering, lacking tender touch

Such a beautiful thing now ruined and crushed.

Your thorns cut deep, keeping people away,

Yet your soft petals dry out more each day.

 It is Winter, the air feels cold and dim

Damaged and alone you rest, looking grim

Hurt left you helpless, withered and closed

The deepest, dark pieces of your heart exposed

I know you will soon bloom again

But wait patiently for you to mend

With the changing season and new year

Soon a bud promises to appear

Do not lose faith my fragile friend

Your time will come. This is not the end.

It is Spring, and your condition improves,

In the air, your gentle petals move.

This timely season gives you a fresh start,

The regeneration of a new heart.

Your petals grow bigger, beginning to swell,

A sign you moved on, you recovered well.

It is a slow process, coping with pain

 Let your thirst be quenched by the rain

It is summer, you are alone no longer

This cycle of life only made you stronger

The sun shines brightly, reflecting off you,

A new creation that soaks up the dew

You bloom fully again, leaving behind the past

Fulfilling your purpose in the world at last

So intricately designed to bring beauty to those

Who appreciate you for being a rose

Your delicate nature caused you to fall apart

But you blossomed again, just like my heart.

The Science of Hugging

Hugs. First, let's talk about hugs in general. Whether you know it or not, giving a hug  is communicating a message. A hug is the most basic form of physical contact, yet is crucial in defining your relationship with another person. Hugs send a variety of messages from "Hey friend" (side hug) to "So good to see you! Its been forever!" (running head start hug). Most of the time hugs show affection and make a person feel warm and fuzzy inside. Then again, there are always those few..the awkward hugs....

Who hasnt ever had an awkward hug? Exactly! No one...

This is what my friend Beth Moore and I came up with when discussing hugs.

How to avoid awkward hugs:

1) Assess the situation.
2) A hug is a two way street, so determine which one of you is the most confident, the hug initiator.
3) Once you've determined who is passive and who is the go getter, allow the more confident person to take the reigns and initiate the hug.
4) If you are the initiator, decide what message are you trying to give off. (Friendly sidehug, Bestfriend bearhug, Extended Tight Squeeze, etc) What are you trying to communicate with them and vice versa. Is it a causal hello, friendship, deep love and affection?
5) Whether you lead or not, make a decision and stick to it. Whatever you do, dont change your mind! If you are going in for a sidehug, stick to it. When done correctly the other person will most likely follow through and feel comfortable.
6)After this first hug, the rest should effortlessly flow because you have established your relationship. Now you have a signature hug with that person.

Lastly, dont overanalyze or overthink this. It should be natural.

Hope this helps for all of you who needed clarity on this important subject matter.

Thought this was appropriate on National Hug an RA day!

What a Little Bird Told Me

Tweets are little thoughts/ blurbs about your life. Have you ever wondered what you could learn about yourself if you put  all your tweets together? It is so interesting to see where my mind has been the past few months as I looked at my Tweet Cloud. It generates the most common words from all your tweets over a period of time. For those of you who are curious, you can do one too. Check it out!

My Tweet Cloud:

http://tweetcloud.icodeforlove.com

• love
• haha
• tonight
• time
• TOMS
  
• live
• global
• royal bean
• life
• wish
• family
• free
• phone
• wait
• friends
• morning
• home
• actually
• tweet
• beautiful
• goodnight
• girl
• little
• raleigh
• break
• anatomy
• UNCW
  
• doing
• study

~Nel

Something to Share

So you might have read this poem before, but maybe not. A good friend of mine found it and sent it to me so thought it might be good to share with all of you, especially you ladies!

Perfect Love

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone-

To have a deep soul relationship with another-

Be loved thoroughly, and exclusively.

But God, to a Christian, says:

I want you to be satisfied, fulfilled, and content

With being loved by Me alone-

With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me-

With having an intensely personal and unique relationship

With Me alone.

Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found,

Will you be capable of the best human relationship

That I have planned for you.

I want you to be united with another after you are united with Me-

Exclusive of anyone or anything else,

Exclusive of any other desires or longings.

I want you to stop planning, stop wishing,

And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing-

One that you cannot imagine.

I want you to have the best-

Please allow Me to bring it to you.

You just keep watching Me, trusting Me-

Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.

Keep listening and learning the things I tell you.

You just wait.

That's all.

Don't be anxious.

Don't worry.

Don't look around at the things

Others have gotten or that I've given them.

Don't look at the things you think you want.

You just keep looking off and up to Me,

Or you'll miss what I want to show you.



And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love

Far more wonderful than any you would dream of.

You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready,

(I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time),

Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepared for you,

You won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me.

And this is the perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have the most wonderful love.

I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me,

And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection, and love

That I offer you with Myself.

Know that I love you utterly.

I am God.

Believe and be satisfied.

-author and original title unknown

Thoughts on Things I Love

Here are some random thoughts of things I love:

~I love love working at Royal Bean and serving coffee to people. It brings me joy when I see customers licking their cups in satisfaction. Yesterday I caught a customer licking his fingers after running them through the bottom of his empty latte cup. Good sign that my coffeemaking skills are improving finally. I remember only a few months ago I was constantly burning myself on the stupid esspresso maker!

~Warm bread makes people feel warm inside.There is nothing better than homemade bread; I'm officially addicted! Plus, I just love to bake it, probably because it reminds me of my mom. Its my way of showing people I care and sharing love with them. So if you want bread let me know! Trust me, its delicious :)

~I am so incredibly excited about the scarf I found at Royal Bean. Been here since Saturday. YAY! New scarf!

~I LOVE TEA =) Its better for you than coffee, makes you feel good, healthy and relaxed. Plus, for those of you on a budget its only $1.72 for a small at Global Village. I know this because I frequent Global Village ALOT. Enough that the owner, Mike, asked me on friday if I had tried all the teas yet. That is when I decided to try them all by the end of this semester! An exciting challenge. Anyone want to join me in my pursuit?
P.S. Try the Honey Bush or Chai if nothing else.

~If you have read my previous posts you probably already know how much I LoVe music! New albums make my day. Ive prob listened to Phil Wickhams new CD 20 times already at least.

~UGH! Cant wait for Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday! Hurry up and get here please!!! Every year I look forward to the 12 hr drive with the fam up to NJ. I look forward to seeing my crazy Italian relatives and taking the train into NYC! Best Thing Ever!

~Lastly, I LOVE the relationships I have made this semester. I could not have chosen better roommates. REALLY lucked out on that one. Plus all my bstud girls. They have blessed me so much, LOVE spending time with them. And then there are those few others who I met this year and  have enjoyed getting to know. Thanks you all for your friendship!

One thing  I do not love is STUDYING, which is why i am writing this post. Its called procrastination. It was worth it though. Now my head is clear.

Love you all,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

Music, Desire, Delight

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalms 37

When I read that verse this morning I could not stop thinking about it. Over the past few days, God has been giving me a new passion for him. Moving my ipod dock into my bathroom was definitely a good idea. Lately, I have been waking up every morning and playing through worship songs as I get ready. Through that, I have found a new meaning in "delighting" in the Lord. As I listen to Hillsong's "Arms Open Wide" and "Hold  Me Now" and many others I get this overwhelming sense of peace and joy as I turn my thoughts and my heart over to Him. My days have been starting out better because I feel renewed, even on the days where I go to bed at 3:30 and get up at 6:30 (Fri. morning).  The days I do this, God has been blessing me in more ways than one.

We do not have to be in church to worship God. It can be throughout our day as we listen to our ipods or pray to Him. So I encourage you to think about ways that you can delight in the Lord in your daily life. I promise you will not regret it!! :)

Hillsong's "Arms Open Wide"



P.S. If you dont know where to start, you can also try listening to Phil Wickham's new "Heaven and Earth" CD! So good! ;)

AFRICA, My Passion, What's Yours?

A few years ago, I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua and it changed my life. Sounds so cliche but it could not be more true. That sole event had one of the biggest impacts on my life because I saw real poverty for the first time. I witnessed children who were being given medical care for the first time. Never in my life had I seen such a need. We stayed in an orphanage, where the children gave up their beds for our team. Though they had nothing, they were so giving. I have been blessed so much, but how much have I truly given back? Nicaragua was the first time I felt like I was actually making a difference and being a part of something greater than myself.

Today, I had some downtime and stumbled across the Mocha Club wesite. Everytime I watch a video, see a post, or hear about Africa, a burning desire for world missions is reignited in my heart. I do not know the logistics of it yet, but I feel like God is preparing me to do something mission oriented. At first I was going to become a teacher, but now my heart is set on bringing medical care to people who need it most.


So I ask this question. What can you do? You dont have to go to Nicaragua or Africa to serve. It can be something simple. Help a friend. Buy someone coffee. Everyone can make a difference somehow. Its up to you.

I watched this video today and was truly inspired. Hope you are to. Love you all. :)

The Songs We Live For

As I was driving home a few days ago, I couldnt get this song out of my head. I played it on repeat on my ipod over and over again. It's called Radiate by Telecast, such a great song to meditate on throughout the day. Listening to this song made my whole day better! My hope is that all of us can strive to love like this, to live like this.

Jesus it's a beautiful day

I'm so deep in your mercy, I could swim in your grace

Lord the only thing I want to say

Radiate in me


I'm falling in love with you

I'm falling in love with you

Jesus I want nothing more

Than to radiate your love oh Lord

I'm falling in love with you

So radiate in me


Jesus radiate in me today

Let me be a light for you

In a world that seems so grey

Lord I offer up this song of praise

So radiate in me




-Nel

Stop and Swing

I finally decided to start a blog in hopes to share a piece of my life with you all. So here it goes...

My life is busy, always going from one thing to the next. This semester has been especially tough for a number of reasons, the pressure of trying to get into nursing school and taking a heavy course load, living off campus with unreliable transportation (1986 Cutless Cierra..yea), having a job, and squeezing in room for friends. Hanging out with friends and building relationships was put on hold for a while, especially at the beginning of the semester. Now, there is added pressure towards the end of the semester, the final countdown, final papers and soon EXAMS. As you know, it can be a stressful time. Busy, busy, busy. Lately my thought process has been, how much can I fit into a 24 hr day?

Well, today, something changed. I was waiting for my sister outside of Alexander and saw a swing. I was immediately drawn to it and felt the urge to swing. The second I started swinging, it felt like I was seeing everything around me for the first time.   I looked around and noticed that the fall leaves were gorgeous, a mixture of colors, crimson red and bright yellow. God's creation is amazing!! It is there for us to enjoy and I had been missing it. At that moment, a verse came to my mind. "Be Still and Know that I am God".  A huge burden was lifted off my chest as I took a deep breath, just paused, and starting praying. It was at that moment that I realized something important. I have been on autopilot and needed time for reflection. It made such a difference!

When life gets too busy, it goes by so fast that we often miss the little things. It is so easy to get caught up in business without taking time to reflect on what God is doing all around us. When was the last time you stopped to look around at the fall leaves, the trees, the squirrels,  the beauty in the little things, like nature and God's awesome creation?

Pause. Take a deep breath. Be still. Reflect.

As you finish out the semester, I encourage you to spend some time with God, time with friends, and time for yourself as well. If you stop for a second and look around, you never know what you will see. Ask God to let you see things through His eyes.

-Nel