a Savior has been born

This year one of my brothers had his first child. His name is Samuel, and he's the cutest little boy you've ever seen. Christmas night I helped bathe and change him into his little bear footie pj's. He is the first grandchild of my parents. Which automatically makes him the favorite. Anyways.... on to the reason for this post.


Every year before my family opens presents we read the Christmas story. It's a way my family keeps thing meaning real. This year was a little different, because we had a little baby in our midst.

As my eldest brother was reading the story, Samuel was blocking my view so I decided to look at him. I was thinking about Jesus being a baby. About the fact that he was fully God yet fully human.

Being a baby is humbling, which is why I think we don't remember it. He was fully God, yet he had to have somebody change his 1st Century diaper. Let me tell you it wasn't as easy as taking disposable Elmo off his tush. What person of royalty in our world would want to be treated like that? He could command everything and anything he wanted, yet he came to us as a helpless baby.

I hope this smacks you in the face.

I hope it makes you appreciate just all that he did for us.

We sing songs about little baby Jesus. But when do we grasp it? Did he have spit that somebody had to wipe off? Did he cry after he first woke up? He was dependent on Mary and Joseph for everything. They had to bathe him, feed him, change his nasty diapers and maybe his not so nasty ones.

Humbleness at it's max.

Do you think he remembered? Do you think he knew that he was the King of kings as they were cleaning his mess up? Maybe not. But it gives me something to think about it.

I don't like humbling myself. And I'm not even the King of Kings. But he's definitely taught me a lesson.

We truly serve an Amazing God.

thats all for now
-j

Careful what you pray for

Someday I know that Brian will be in a youth pastor position, and I will be... The youth pastor's wife.
Qualities of a youth pastors wife -according to moi:
-Hot (duh)
- knows how to handle teenagers
-can organize events really well
- thinks of things her brilliant YP husband didn't
-can decorate for a party
-rocks at making cookies

---- ok so there are a lot more CHARACTER qualities obviously, but I figured I'd just put those ones down, the others are pretty standard.

So I started praying that God would prepare my heart for full time ministry and the woman I would have to become to thrive (and survive) in that position.

God answers prayer.
God answers prayer not the way I want him to.
..... But isn't that God?

Since I've started praying this prayer, he's definitely brought somethings to my attention that need to be fixed before I leave the bubble of this campus. Thankfully I'm learning now and not later.

However, he's also put situations and people into my life that I know I will encounter in the future.

I spent the better part of the weekend giving the stink eye to God saying, okay this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but teach me anyway cuz you know what you're doing.

I know that I will have to deal with people that will criticize my every move, however pure their intentions might be, I know I will have to pick up the responsibility of others, I know I'll have to deal with kids I probably don't like. I know that Brian and I will be at church more hours then we wish for. And a whole lot of othere things.

But you know what, we are a team, all 3 of us are a team. (No I'm not talking about a baby in my stomach I'm talking about Jesus). And all 3 of us are going to get through everything. I have no regrets about where God has put me to lead, but I do know that I'll have to grow up in the mean time.

God is teaching my how to respond, with grace and maturity and not using my 21 year old mouth to respond in situations. Yep, a lot of times that means keeping my mouth shut. But hey, If I can learn this now, it means I wont screw up a job for brian... or myself.


thats what i'm learning,
thats all for now
-j

Our First... pt 1

Our First...
Toilet over flow.

Yep. It was an exciting night in the Colligan house. B and I had just gotten home from the childrens Christmas play and were about to relax and watch this weeks community when I noticed the toilet was no longer flushing (no this was not my fault, it was the both of us and panda express)... B went in tried to flush it one more time. Yep It was like a waterfall, only not nearly as pretty.

After some colorful expressions and B's quick thinking to turn off the water, there was some MAJOR clean up to be done.

So there is brian soaking up nasty water in some towels with his feet in plastic bags and gloves over his hands.
Next?
Bleach.
After we got all the water cleaned up with bleached EVERYTHING. It was my turn to put plastic bags and gloves on, we looked AWESOME let me tell you.

We bleached everything from the door to the shower, to the floors and the whole toilet. And those towels have been also sterilized.


Needless to say Panada really is express. And it's just another story to had to the list of what will be many more adventrues.

Thought I'd share, and yes I did ask B if I could post it.

One of our many firsts that we'll have
thats all for now
-j

Cookie Palooza

First, I must apologize for my lack of posting. However, next week is finals so it's been a busy time in the colligan house.

Last weekend my friends and I made over 80 cookies for the dorm students. It took a LONG time.

We only frosted about 40 of them. And then we packaged them. 2 for everybody in the dorms. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it when everybody was eating them at the dorm
christmas party

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That time of year again

I PROMISE this isn't about Christmas.

It's about that time of year.

FINALS

The last four(ish) weeks after thanksgiving blow. Totally blow. Everybody is tired, people are stressed and irritable. It's really just not a good deal. We all have so much to do and just want it to be done. I know for us, I've had a headache for the last week, and Brian isn't sleeping.

AWESOME!

I had somebody ask me today "why are you so un-enthusiastic lately?". I told them it was because I have end of semester-itst.

I walked away from the conversation and

SMACK

God hit me with a mac truck. I heard him say "Really? Finals are so horrible that they've stolen your joy?"
Me: "Uh.. uh.. uh.. yeah.. you dont understand I have this and this, and i just got done..."
"STOP, You need to be thankful you still have money to be in school, or that you're so close to graduate. Nevermind that I give you breath to breathe everyday and make sure your heart is working"

Anyways the conversation continued to go on like that for a while and he reminded me of Ephesians 1.

Ephesians 1 is broken into 2 parts
Verses 1-14 are all about the blessings that God has given us.
Verses 15-23 are all about the fact that we need to understand the potential that God has given us.

we receive these blessing with no contribution on our part. HE JUST GIVES THEM TO US.
-We are now his children
-He's blessed us with EVER spiritual blessing
-He's purchased us
-He's revealed to us the mystery of his Will
- The holy spirit has become the earnest of our inheritance, thats just the DOWN PAYMENT of the inheritance, not the actual full inheritance. WHAT!

Theres a lot more to this bible passage (and yes i have class notes in front of my face). I can't say that i'm 100% fixed. I'm still tired and probably a little cranky (God bless brian). But I have been given all of these things and should be totally Joyful about them. Despite the 10000000 things i have to do in the next two weeks. But God is good. and I shouldn't let school take my joy. .. Neither should you.

thats all for now
-j

Oh Christmas Tree

Brian and I are part of a leadership team at our church. We help lead the youth group on a weekly basis. Last night however, was a break.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the youth and I love serving. But having last night off was a blessing. He and I were able to relax and do some homework also I was able to decorate.
:)Me and my crafty self love decorating. If I could have found a way to save my miniature pumpkins from fall I would have. But I just couldn't think of anything.

So Saturday and Sunday night we decorated. He didn't want to at first but he finally gave it. We put up our little tree that my parents bought us. And I made a good amount of

home made ornaments. They are almost like Cinnamon cookies.

Well anyways, I thought I'd share what my wife self is doing to get ready for the Holidays. My goal is to be all decorated by the time cookie palooza comes around this weekend.

FINISHED:CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT RECIPE:

1 cup applesauce

1 ½ cups cinnamon (6 oz)

1/3 cup nontoxic glue

mix all ingredients together form a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

sprinkle a little cinnamon on a large cutting board and roll out dough to ¼ in. thickness.

Place on a rack or flat surface to dry. Turn a couple of times a day. Takes about 2 days

to dry.

So excited for christmas. And each and every day I add something new. You should try the ornaments they are awesome! Only be wear I inhaled so much Cinnamon it made me sick :S.

thats all for now
-j

Apple Pie Review :So my crust was a bust, it had too much flour so it fell when it cooled and the edges fell off. Oh well, I guess there are worst things in life.

Thats really all I have to say right now. I just wanted to update those who care about my pie. Maybe laster one I'll have something worth while writing about.
-j

The Apple Pie Elections

This thanksgiving I'm spending it when Brians family. It's not the first thanksgiving I've been away from home and it probably wont be the last.

My family are really big pie eaters. More then I think any other family. I think it's a farm thing, my papa was a farmer, and I've never met a farmer who hated pie. We make our pie crust from scratch with an evil ingredient that would have the organic hippies dying just by looking at it. (No offence). The pie has many particular steps to make sure it comes out right, and for whatever reason if the crust isn't made in my moms kitchen it just doesn't come out right. I think it's because I still need her advice on things but dont tell her that. Also some how when ever I make it there are always tears, that doesn't depend on the kitchen, thats just a given. Either it's too soft or too hard, somebody pokes me and I drop an extra egg in (hubbsters did that last time) or I'm frustrated because somebody is in the kitchen telling me how to make my pie. I realize I'm only 21 but I've been making pie for a REALLY long time (last thanksgiving at a friends house with an over protective grandmother).

This year?

Well I'm not sure. I think I'm tired and I think I miss home.

But something I've learned being a college student being 1000 miles away from home

Home is anything. I learned to live at home in the dorms. At the friends house with the over protective grandmother. And here, at my in-laws. (which by the way I hate that word because people usually mean it negatively and it's not for me) I have great in-laws and I feel at home with them.

So right. Pies.

My FIL always makes the apple pie. I guess it's his thing. Guess who is making it this thanksgiving. THIS GIRL. yeah. crap is right. Not only is it a test of my woman hood, but it's like a family acceptance test. I'm not sure WHO elected me or HOW I got elected to make this pie. It's like the holy grail of thanksgiving dinner, well that and pumpkin. ANYWAY. This is my first thanksgiving with brians family EVER. last year we weren't even dating. SO it's like double test. I'm not really nervous just a new experience.

So this is my first wife thanksgiving. Complete with tears and apple pie tests. I'll let you know how it comes out. Right now, I'm just praying for it (no but really)

thats all for now. (i think)
-j

While it's still new

Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away but I have something to confess....

Today I started listening to Christmas music. I know it's early, I'm sorry. But my excuse is that I had dishes and other house things to do and that was my motivation.

Coincidently my mother sent me a package.... With Christmas cookie decorations in it!! My friends and I are making cookies for the dorm students around campus and I didn't have anything (being that I just got married) So mom sent me a package. It had two different types of sprinkles in it, edible beads, cookie cutters, and a snowman dish towel. So cute.


Like everything in our society we are on to the next big thing. Christmas decorations were out in stores even before halloween had come. (Brian and I got our Christmas tree on Oct 9).

However by the end of it all, most people will be sick of Christmas.

This is the one time of year that almost everybody looks forward to. Yet we still manage to become sick of it. What does that say about us?

But are they sick of Christmas or just the commercialization of it? Sick of the Christmas songs and the smell of pine trees. Sick of looking at left over Christmas cookies, and eating left over Christmas food especially the fruit cake. And some people, even sick of family. But I think we are forgetting the meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is when we celebrate our saviors birth. We hear it a million times during the season, but it should make us jump for joy and worship our King. Yet we get sick of it. We should stand up and say HALLELUJAH! Yet we get sick of it. Americans want things at a fast pace and don't want to stay focused on one thing for too long, but I see it affection our spiritual walk.

Now I'm not saying it's a SIN to get sick of "Santa baby" or whatever, because honestly sometimes I do want to punch out my radio after it comes on ever day for a month. But next time we say we are sick of Christmas; think about just exactly what are we sick of? And remember you probably waited for it all year long, so it's just pay back.

Just a thought. thats all for now.
-j

The Beginning

I told my husband I wanted to start a blog and he just kinda shook his head. He kindly reminded me that the world might read this so I need to act accordingly.

I'm not sure whats going to come out of this, or even who'd read it. My life is kinda boring and anti-climatic, however I thought I'd give it a try. But this is going to be about me. About my life. What I'm learning, what I wish I didn't have to learn. The great things I get to do, and the great husband I'm blessed to be married to.

I'm a full time student, I work part time, do a lot of ministry on the side and am a full time wife. I have a busy life but a blessed one. And no, no little blessings yet I have to graduate first and maybe win the lottery.

oh and btw, if you're wondering about the name, my husband named it. He thought it was cute, instead of "good house keeping" it's "good wife keeping". He's the funniest man I know.

thats all for now.
-J