give thanks!

So many blessings to be thankful for! To say that I will effectively express my thankfulness for all the many blessings in my life would be to say that I can do the impossible. Well, I am going to give the impossible a shot.


First and foremost, I am thankful for the Gospel of my Lord, Jesus Christ. Nothing is due my life than my Savior. The Creator of the Universe, who loves His precious children, gave the world His Son, to come and live out a life loving the Father above all else. A life that we are to follow through His spirit and strength. He loved us so much that He sent His perfect and holy son to die in the place for all our sins. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). 


My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!


This glorious story does not end there. Not only did Christ die for our sins, He conquered the grave and death when He rose three days later. O, death, where is your sting? Praise the Lord, O my soul!


The Gospel is enough. The Gospel is enough to be completely satisfied and thankful for more than this life. Crazy enough, through Christ, we are given life to the fullest. The Father lavishes His love on His children through the many blessings He gives. 


I am humbled, amazed, and thankful for the blessings He has given to me so graciously. He has provided me with a family who has taught me the bible and shown me His love ever since I was born. Their individual walk with the Lord encourages me and sets an example for me as to how I am live my life. I am thankful for their love, encouragement, accountability, and prayers they offer day in and day out. Praise the Father for my precious family! 


Not only has He provided me with an amazing biological family, but He has given me a family at Tuscaloosa. I am overwhelmed when I sit back and reflect on my first semester as a freshman and how the Father has proven His faithfulness to me through the relationships He has given me. To call them friends would be incorrect. These friends have turned into my sweet brothers and sisters and have truly provided a sense of community and family for me. I am thankful for their walk with our Father and their love for all people. To my Calvary family, thank you for pushing me closer to the Father and for giving me a place to call home at Tuscaloosa. I love y'all so very much.


Apart from the precious relationships I have been blessed with, there are some random things that make my heart happy and I am thankful that the Father allows His children to enjoy the simple things in life. I am thankful for headbands and bandanas to wear in my hair, my faithful Chacos (we are going on 2 and a half years now, y'all!), Enos to relax in, Camelbaks to decorate with cool stickers, Patagonia backpacks, fake glasses to complete my hipster look, folk music, just down right good music, watches, friends who blog, my cool beans Canon camera, driving around with the windows down, pretty fall colors, cold weather, scarfs, boots, reading books by the window, walking (which leads to dancing) in the rain, whipping my hair back-and-forth, a good hug, laughter, smiles, being crafty, playing and dominating four square, attempting to play Ultimate, old yet precious hymns, Tweeting excessively, Instagraming any and everything, sunsets, jeans that fit perfectly, Chaco tan-lines, fun fingernail polish colors, long-sleeved t-shirts, spending time with my favorite people, going to concerts, singing out loud (although my friends wish I would refrain), community, joy, braided hair, school supplies, making situations awkward, late-nights, and making long lists...


Thank you Father, for all your many blessings. But most importantly, thank you for your Son. May I express my thanksgiving to you with my life and with my heart. To you all honor and praise!


May you feel overwhelmingly blessed by the Father who loves you and cherishes you above everything else. 




Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!




blessings. 

balance is key

When reading and comparing articles, it is easy to pick up on the commonalities and differences that each one has. This is true for articles named "Why Twitter Will Endure", "How Do I Love Thee? Count 140 Characters", and "Is Texting Writing?" Although each article discusses different topics, they still have few similar themes and topics.

In the first article, "Why Twitter Will Endure", Carr explains how Twitter has become a useful tool in not only his life, but of all Twitter users. Despite the silly lingo, Twitter provides useful information and updates on important news and can cut down research dramatically. Users must be mindful as to who they follow and also what they tweet, but with discretion, Twitter can be used as an outlet for useful information. Carr argues that this is, in fact, the reason why Twitter will remain and will not fade out like any other trend in the past.

The next article, "How Do I Love Thee? Count 140 Characters", discusses how Twitter is changing literature. With given only 140 characters to tweet, twitter users must shorten any thoughts or ideas down to a very distinct message. This concept of a short message is changing how people are writing. 

Lastly, in "Is Texting Writing?" explains how texting has taken off and is changing how students write. Students are required to write more than ever before and this is due to the advances in technology (Grabill). Emails, text messaging and writing assignments are how students are voicing their opinions in the form of text. Grabil explains that "the cell-phone is the new pencil." As students and teachers, we must learn to adapt to what is most relevant in our society, but not let our words become meaningless.

Although these three articles discuss different topics, they all discuss how technology is changing the way we write and receive information. From using tweets to find quick information to shortening one's thoughts to 140 characters, technology is shaping the way we are writing. It is our job as writers to stay relevant to our culture, but also to keep meaning and value of our words. The balance between the two is key to becoming an effective writer in the 21st century.

blessings.