*Happy Birthday Jesus...*

Luke 2 : The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Phoebe AnnaBelle Jordan

As many of you know, The Jordan family, is my family. I have become so close to them throughout the past 4 or so years. I truly feel that they are my family. I adore each and everyone of them. (Extended too...that's ya'll not in Alabama as well :) So, today I got the joy of meeting the newest addition to the Alabam Jordan clan. Miss Phoebe AnnaBelle. I might be totally in love! :) Here are some of my favorite pictures....

I started snapping the pictures from the second we walked in the door...

Have you ever seen a smile so big on a little girl...Ellie is now a big sister!

Elijah holding Phoebe...

Ellie holding Phoebe...

Noah holding his new baby sister...

Pastor Steve and his children...

She is Super Mom!!


This is love....

Last, but not least....we are ready for Christmas at Cornerstone!

Much Love,

Miss Christy

God is good to me...

..I love the Children's Sermons..

Noah's answer: "God."

Ellie's answer: "My little pony."

always.

Why I love being Miss Christy

One of the many perks of spending time with kids!
Silly Pictures!

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

Daniel and Kimberly have been in my life for a few years now. They are very very dear friends to me. Sadly, they've been living far away from me..and now are moving even further!! Tonight I got to spend time with them and it made me very happy. Plus...I finally got to meet Caedmon!! What a sweetie pie he is!!

Love,

Miss Christy

New Beginnings...How Exciting!

The fall is bringing forth new beginnings. I am so excited and nervous all at once. Jennifer (my pastor's wife and one of my best friends) and I traveled to Presbyterial last weekend. We had debated on going for so long, and now I am SO glad that we went. God really blessed our time together and blessed me with growing in my relationships with christian ladies. It really is true that time spent in the Lord is so sweet. This is a picture of Camden ARP..where we went.As we traveled, Jen and I planned the upcoming units for the Children's Ministry and I am pumped!!! The teacher in me is, of course, coming out and I am loving planning these units.
For our older kids: The Lion Room, we are working on a "God Made..." Unit series. The first is God made my Body. We are focusing on the different ways we use the parts of our body to worship God. Worship is not just for Sunday mornings in church...our lives should be worship...so we are learning how we do that. For example, we just learned about our brain first. Our thoughts should be filled with whatever is true, honorable, right, pure... The overall theme is the verse that tells us the we, as christians, are a pleasing aroma to Christ. We are serving 'his nose'. =) We will continue to learn how are ears, mouth, hands, feet... can serve Christ. After that we will do 2 more God Made units...God Made Relationships and God Made Feelings. I'm so excited!! Following those we will do the God Gave us the Bible unit. That one will teach me so much, as well as the children.
On Wednesday nights the Lion Room will be working on our Catechism questions. For our Lamb room, Sundays will be God Made the Animals, and on Wednesdays they are learning their colors and talking about things God made that are those colors.
I am so excited about this ministry! I'm excited about our church. My constant prayer has been that God would close the doors if He didn't want me there, and until then, that we would still be standing. We are on a roller coaster...but things are looking up. It's been hard, but the other night I really prayed hard about giving it to God. So often I get caught up in trying to do all that I can to grow this church...and that is so not what it is about. It is what God does. So often we serve and we serve..but then God says, Alright...Serve ME. We get so caught up in the work, that we forget who we are fighting for. I am in love with my savior...and that is what matters.

On another note, school starts tomorrow. I am entering my senior year of college. It is so surreal in many ways. I cannot believe that it is almost time for me to have my career. To finally do what I have wanted to do my entire life. It is also amazing at how God's plans for me, were nothing like my own. He is such an amazing God!

I leave you with this,

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation."
Psalm 95:1
I am shouting. God is good. All the time!

Much Love,
Miss Christy

July 26, 2008 - Rest in Peace Grandaddy Bish

...Saturday, July 26, my great grandaddy died. LE Bishop. He was 89 years old. I am so blessed to have had a great-grandparent that I got to know. So many people my age never even met their great-grandparents. 6 years ago, my Baba died. She was the love of Grandaddy Bish's life. I am so thankful that I know that they are together now. Grandaddy is talking to Jesus and spending time with his wife once again. His speech is fixed, he isn't confused anymore. I know that he loved each member of his family dearly, but he's happy now. I'm really going to miss him. But, know that I will one day see him again...

..you're never fully dressed without a smile..

My teacher read us this in one of my education classes the other day, and it made me very happy. I thought I would share it. We all need to hear something like this more often.


Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is theultimate antidepressant.

2.) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3.) Always pray and make time to exercise.

4.) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of Six.

5.) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that ismanufactured in plants.

6.) Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

7.) Try to make at least three people smile each day.

8.) Clear your clutter from your house, car, and desk and let new and flowingenergy into your life.

9.) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negativethoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in thepositive present moment.

10.) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems aresimply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like an algebraclass....The lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

11.) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a layman and dinner like a beggar

12.) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

13.) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

14.) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15.) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

16.) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

17.) Don't compare your life to others'. You have no Idea what their journey isall about.

18.) Ladies - Go on and burn those 'special' scented Candles, use the 600 threadcount sheets, the good China and wear fancy clothes now. Stop waiting for aspecial occasion. Every day is special.

19.) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

20.) Frame every so-called disaster with these Words: In five years, will thismatter?'

21.) Forgive everyone for everything.

22.) What other people think of you is none of your business.

23.) Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

24.) However good or bad a situation is, it will Change.

25.) Your job won't take care of you when you are Sick. Your friends will.Stay in touch with them.

26.) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

27.) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. God provides,remember?!

28.) The best is yet to come.

29.) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

30.) Do the right thing!

31.) Call your family often.

32.) Each night before you go to bed complete the Following statements: 'I amthankful for_____________. Today I accomplished _________.

33.) Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

34.) Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainlydon't want a fast ride.

..unbreakable, unshakeable..

..don't blink...we're growing up

So I've been tryin' ta slow it down
I've been tryin' to take it in In this here today, gone tomorrow world we're livin' in
Don't Blink, just like that you're six years old and you take a nap
and ya' Wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife Don't Blink,
just might miss your babies growin' like mine did
Turning into moms and dads;
trust me friend, a hundred years go faster than you think
So Don't Blink No, don't blink No, don't blink life goes faster than you think!

...as our lives change, we will still be friends forever...

..sisters...a bond that can never be broken..

..cousins...God knew better than to make us sisters. =)..

..As we grow up,we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down... probably will. You will have your heart brokenprobably more than onceand it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fastand you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you have never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back...

..best friends..

I am so thankful for my life and the people in it. God has blessed me more than I could ever ask for.

Now, kiddos, stop growing up! =)

Love,
Miss Christy

...it was mommy's day...

So, even though I am not a mom, and don't intend on being anytime soon....I often get to feel some of the joys of motherhood. I love love love my sweet babies at church...I do.

And I am beyond excited....BEYOND excited that in December we will have a new addition to the Jordan family. HOORAY!!!!! =).

But occasionally...you have one of those moments. But, yet I praise God that He doesn't allow my love to dwindle any, just because I get frustrated. I can just want to strangle the little darlings, but yet...I just want to hug them and take them home with me at the end of the day.

Today, we sang in front of the church. Our song was "Here I am to Worship." The kids looked fantastic...but I began to stress when two of my strongest (and who also get the most excited about singing) weren't there. Luckily, all my stressin was for nothin' (you would think God told us not to worry or something) and in came running Makaela and Kegan. The kids looked GREAT. I have so much joy everytime I see them up there. It just takes my whole heart. Especially the youngest ones....it's amazing that at 3...they can sing so loud...and do the motions so preciously. =) After we convinced our youngest girl to pull her dress down and stop flashing the audience ..we get through about half of the song..and I hear this uncontrollable laughter...and then I realized what was happening. Noah...who had a solo...was still close to the mic..and couldn't stop laughing. Now, Noah is my clown. But boy is he smart...he keeps me on my toes with my teaching, but also on my toes with everything else. =) Once Noah keeps laughing, everyone else continues. I'm in the back...trying to get their attention..because they are still doing the motions, just laughing....and I realized that in the middle of the sanctuary, our youngest member of the children's depeartment (Lillie who turns one at the end of the month) is going crazy dancing with the kids....so...I had lost them. I try so hard not to get frustrated in these moments, but at the same time....I know they are so amazing...I want everybody else to get to see what they've worked so hard for. ::sigh::

I love seeing the kids anytime I get to. I love suprise visits to my aparment, late night cleaning trips to the church, play dates...I love all of it...and I love that I feel the love is returned. Nothing makes me happier then hearing "Miss Christy" and the excitement behind their voices.

We are learning the Ten Commandments right now...and I am learning just as much as they are I feel. I'm excited about what God is doing.

And...even though I'm not a mom...I'm thankful for all the moms that I do know...because without them, I couldn't have a part in their children's lives. =)

**Vacation Bible School is June 2nd through June 6th!**

Until Next time,
Miss Christy

..my sissa..

So, against my will, my little sister isn't so little anymore. She's growing up on me..and boy has it been a fun journey. She graduates from high school this month, and begins a new chapter in her life. I love where we are now in our lives though. She truly is my most favorite person. She has turned into such a beautiful young lady. I hope she never goes too far away from me. =)

PS: This last picture is to prove to Clay, Noah, and Elijah that Miss Christy, did indeed, go to preschool at the same place they do. =)

Happy Birthday to the Babies

How much do I love birthday parties for small children? Lots. How much do I love being Miss Christy so that at the age of 21, single, and no kids, I get invited to the parties and it's not weird? Even more!!! =) Ellie and Riley are growing up on me. They have officially turned 3!!

Love,

Miss Christy

PS: We've surprised her...Miss Skylar has a new baby. See....