Funny Day

I stole away to my room for a few quiet moments this morning, picked up my, "writing notebook," and this is what flowed from my pen:

Today is an odd day.  The sun is shining on and off, gracing us with its presence only occasionally, but the rain has yet to stop.  The wind is silent and the trees are still.  Rain falls directly down, un-bothered by the gusts which have hindered its course of late.  The grass grows greener every day specked with little white or purple flowers here and there.  Bulbs' points are slow in arriving this year, but they are slowly but surely making their entrance.  It is a light day, despite the grey clouds and gloomy appearance.  


Somehow God is helping me to be cheerful.  The younger children have been at each other's throats all morning, I feel sick and have a headache, but even so, I feel joyful.  God is good, is He not?


Since writing the above words I've been thinking further about what God is doing today.

Often, when we are struggling with something, God waits for us to submit and decide we are going to obey, and then He gives us the strength to do so.

I recently decided to ignore the weather (despite my very strong desire for sun) and just be joyful no matter what.  Since resolving  to obey to God in this way and, "give thanks to You forever," (Psalm 30:12) I've noticed that I actually have been more thankful and cheerful and joyful.

When I actually think about it, today has not been the grandest, but somehow all the annoying little things just aren't getting to me like they normally do.

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to be thankful.  Thank You for giving me the strength to be cheerful and full of joy, even when my circumstances are begging for a breakdown.

Source

"I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt His name together!"

(Psalm 34:1-3)

Over and out,

~Emily

Good Pride

I struggle greatly with pride.  My family has been reading about it a good deal lately and my mom and I have had some discussions on it.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that pride is at the root of (at least almost) every other character problem.

But, in a few very select cases, pride can come in handy.

See, pride can get in the way of taking instruction graciously.  I'll be corrected and I can't even think straight, because my pride is right there, in the way of everything.  But, then I read passages in scripture such as these and the tables turn a little:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

(Proverbs 1:7)

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."

(Proverbs 18:2)

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."

(Proverbs 28:26)

My pride rebels at the thought of being a fool...so it makes me want to listen to instruction and other people's opinions, rather than just my own.  It makes me want to trust in my own mind less.  

Nobody wants to be a fool.

Funny how the pride that can get me into a bad situation can also get me out of it.

Not sure any of that made sense...

Over and out,

~Emily

Yesterday's Tomorrow...

Yesterday she sat at this very desk, wishing the rain would stop; dreaming of the sun.  Yesterday she drank far too much coffee, giving herself artificial energy because of how gloomy it was.  Yesterday she moped and whined about the dreadful weather.  Yesterday she got hardly any work done because she couldn't concentrate on anything but the wet, soggy, never-ending downpour.

Source

But today is yesterday's tomorrow, and it is glorious.  Today the sun is shining and she can hear birds singing in nearby trees.  Today she is able to focus and got an A on a test.  Today she feels awake, alive and ready to face whatever comes.  Today she is cheerful and feeling quite content.  Today she is filled with inspiration.

Source

But there are always tomorrows.  There is always the possibility of a day better than today.  Why do we not focus on that possibility, and forget our gloom?  Why do we trap ourselves in how dreadful it is right now when tomorrow might be just glorious?

She wasted yesterday because it wasn't what she wanted it to be, but there will always be gloomy days, and we cannot waste them all.

She resolved, as she nibbled a chocolate bar, to hold onto the hope of future sunny days.  She resolved to not waste the grey moments.  She resolved to see the beauty in everything, even the rain.

Source

"He has made everything beautiful in its time..."

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Over and out,

~Emily

P.S.  Come check out my interview with Ellie, of, "Rouge in Red," a modest fashion blog!

My Amazing Brother...

I have a few pretty wonderful brothers, but Johnny has really been melting my heart lately.

Tell me, how could that face not melt my heart?

Isn't he adorable?

This morning, while my mother was attempting to read aloud from Galatians to us, Johnny was running around, telling us all about his, "car book," and being quite the distraction.  If he wasn't so cute, we wouldn't get distracted so easily, but...

In an attempt to distract him for a little while I asked him to, "Help Emmy with her coffee."  He was thrilled!  He helped me pick up my mug, bring it to my lips and set it back down every fifteen seconds until we were done reading.  He felt like a man, helping Emmy with the (very) important task of drinking her coffee.

He's my hero. =)

Over and out,

~Emily

On Conversation and Deserts

I hunger for deep conversation more than I thirst for coffee.  Which is saying a lot.

I sometimes feel dry, parched and cracked from lack of depth.  It's so easy to become accustomed to something, but then when it's not there we nearly suffocate.  Like being in a desert with no water.

Source

This is how I feel about conversation.

Unless you just started reading this blog, you probably know by now that I compete in a Christian, homechool speech and debate league.  Conversations at tournaments are like springs of fresh, mountain water, quenching my thirst.

Source

I go into tournaments nervous and stressed out, and I come away from them feeling refreshed, encouraged and convicted.  I look forward to tournaments mainly because I know that gloriously deep topics will be discussed, all in a respectful, Christ-honoring way.

But then in between tournaments, or worse yet, in between seasons, I often end up feeling like I'm the only person on earth who is able to talk seriously about any given subject for more than two minutes without cracking a joke and straying from the subject.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

(1 Thesslonians 5:18)

"In all circumstances."  Even when I feel that I'm going to either wither away or explode from lack of deep conversation, God is in control.  God is teaching me things even when I feel frustrated and stuck in a rut of silly jokes.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, 

for those who are called according to His purpose."

(Romans 8:28)

Over and out,

~Emily

P.S. Rain is pouring from the heavens...and has been for days.  I, personally, long for sun.  How is the weather where you live?  ((I guess that wasn't very, "deep," was it?  Hmmm...))

I apologize...

I apologize for all of the changes to the blog, hopefully they will make it more user friendly and pretty.  I get bored with headers quite soon after I've updated them, but I promise to keep this one for at least two months.

Over and out,

~Emily

New blog!

Hey folks!  Just thought I would let you know about my new project: An Object.  I challenged myself to write about a different object every single day...and my new blog is the result of this dare.  No worries, I'll continue rambling here, this is just an additional place for me to satisfy my need to write.  I would love it if you would come check it out and spread the news. =)

Over and out,

~Emily

Spring

She was sitting at her desk, window open in front of her, trees blowing in the wind, sun shining and children running across the lawn shrieking and laughing in pure joy, and she could not focus.  Trying to study for a test seemed so... winter-ish.  Spring was finally here and she wanted simply to bask in the warmth of the sun on her skin or look with wonder at the buds on the bushes and the bulb's little spears poking up from the cold ground.

She loved spring.

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, 

but only God who gives the growth."

(1 Corinthians 3:7)

Over and out,

~Emily

Love

Love.

So many thoughts come to mind when we utter that small, simple, four letter word.  No word can build up or tear down so perfectly.  No word can promise so much, bring so much hope or joy.  No word can bring as many tears, either.

But what is love?  I've posted about it before; love is a verb; it's an action, a choice.  Love is not a feeling by any stretch.  Feelings do often come with love, but love does not necessitate feeling.

It's easy to talk about love being a verb when things are going just fine, isn't it?  But, then, nothing this side of eternity will ever be perfect.  Your life at home might be going quite swimmingly, your friendships blossoming, your relationships with co-workers just dandy, but what about your enemies?  See, that's the thing we often forget.  Love isn't to be limited to just the people we know.  Love is for people like Joseph Kony.  Love is for the slaveholders around the world.  Love is for sex traffickers.  Love is for members of Jihad and Planned Parenthood advocates.

"Love...keeps no record of wrongs." 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

That's the hard one for me.  Yes, I struggle with being patient and being kind, and all the rest, but the really hard thing is to be kind, to act patient, to seem loving, but in your heart to be tallying up the scores.  I often wish that I was like Dory in 'Finding Nemo.'  I so wish that as soon as someone wronged me I might be able to forget about it.

I just opened my Bible up to Isaiah 55 and was amazed at what I found.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

⁷ 

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

⁸ 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

⁹ 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts."

(Isaiah 55:6-9)

See, God is love.  While we have petty little things that we'll hold against the people we know for the rest of our lives, God, who has every reason to throw us into hell for all of eternity, "will abundantly pardon."

I'm not sure where I got the idea, but somehow I used to picture God as this big judge in the sky, with His record book, keeping track of all of our mess-ups.  But, see, God is love, and love, "keeps no record of wrongs."  Isn't that incredible?  This is probably an amazingly scrambled post, I'm not sure that I'm making any sense at all right now, but it really just struck me.  I have huge records that  I keep, both consciously and unconsciously, in my mind against most of the people I know.  Most of the time I'm not trying to do this, but then I'll have an argument and everything comes back to me.  The times that person wronged me in this way or that way or inconvenienced me in that other way all flood back into my mind and I realize that I am blatantly sinning.  

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, 

do good to those who hate you,  

bless those who curse you, 

pray for those who abuse you."

(Luke 6:27-28)

Jesus wasn't suggesting something here; He wasn't telling us to try to do this.  Jesus was commanding us to love our enemies.  Loving includes that whole 'no record keeping' bit.  

Sometimes I read my Bible, listen to a sermon or read another book and something will pop out at me.  "Wow, so-and-so really needs to hear this!" I'll think, smugly.  I'm getting better at not doing it, but I'm quite good at shifting the blame away from myself.  Today wasn't one of those times, though.  Today all that came to mind was what a miserable failure I really am.

I am so very grateful that my good-ness doesn't have anything to do with His grace.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; 

His mercies never come to an end;"

(Lamentations 3:22)

Over and out,

~Emily

KONY 2012

If you haven't watched the video, PLEASE DO.  Kony must be stopped.  Kony must be arrested.  Justice must be administered.

This will only happen if you and I stand up and demand this.

Watch the video and spread the word.

Check out their website for more information: kony2012.com

Over and out,

~Emily