So I know I probably left much to the imagination with that title. It is hard to comprehend, I know. But really, GOD GAVE US A HOUSE for the next five years!!! Here is the story behind all of that and the details about how awesome God is!
Brent and I were trying to be responsible and adult-like and plan ahead because our lease on our current apartment is up in January. We thought if we started praying about it now and searching for a house now, God would give us one by January. Little did we know, God was going to literally GIVE us one. We looked at a couple of properties, both of which were for sale and just could not get peace about them. We talked about it and prayed about it and Brent said he just didn't have peace about either so we would just wait. See, God really blessed us with our current apartment. Remembering that time that God graciously supplied our needs, Brent said, "I'm not doing anything until I know for sure that God put it in our laps, just like he did our apartment we are in now." That statement was probably amusing to God given He knew exactly what He was planning to do just a few short weeks later. Brent's job is in Russell county and I hope that a year from now, after graduation, I will be working in Russell county, as well, because of that, we were primarily looking in Russell county.
Anyway, so we kept driving by a house that was extremely run down by the previous tenants and decided to call about the house. The landlord said that she would be renting it but that it needed serious renovation and she was not sure when the property would be ready. Regardless, we met her to look at the property. The house was an adorable little farmhouse, currently seated on a farm, with hay fields all around and only 30 seconds from the highway. For any of you that know me, you know that all of that is right down my alley! We walked through the house with her and realized that yes, it needed lots of work. She told us her budget for remodeling and when she estimated it might be ready. Brent's dad asked if she would be interested in trading some rent if we would do the work that needed to be done on the house...we were expecting maybe six months to a year if she was interested in this at all. She asked us if we would sign a 5 year lease, a little puzzled we looked at each other and I responded, "well maybe." She then said, well if you will then I can give you the money and you can design it so that you will love it and live here for free for five years in exchange for your labor. What?!?!?!?! It took me a second to comprehend all of that and once I did, I almost had a shouting spell all over the porch right in front of her! God is literally giving us a house to live in for five years, on a beautiful farm, with a wonderful landlord, and is giving us the money to make it our dream little farmhouse for the next five years! God is SOOOOO Good! But then it gets better...the water bill is included in that...for five years!
My whiz of a husband did the math and at what we pay now for our current apartment (which is much cheaper than it would have been had we moved anywhere else in Russell county) we will be saving about $20,000 at the end of five years!
I can't tell you how this happened but I can tell you who made it happen and that is none other than God! My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you but to give you hope and a future." That so applies here! HE LOVES US! HE WANTS TO DO BIG, BIG, BIG THINGS FOR US! HE WANTS TO BLESS US! I believe that nothing pleases God more than when we are obedient to him (especially in the waiting) and HE gets to bless us for it! He has already planned all of it out. He knew that on a particular day in June 2015 he was going to bless mine and Brent's socks off and I think he was excitedly waiting on the time to come so that He could. He is just awesome and He loves us so much! He loves us so much that He does huge things like "put it (a house) in our laps!"
Pictures of all the renovations are to come! :)
xoxo,
Em
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Like Stars in the Sky
Philippians 2:14-15 "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."
Read that closely one more time...Okay, did it hit you as hard as it did me? There are so many awesome tidbits of wisdom in that passage of scripture. It is hard to even know where to begin. My husband and I talk a lot about trying not to argue in front of people because our marriage is a ministry that is supposed to show God's love to others. He and I both feel that a marriage should be the one thing on the planet that radiates the love of God and portrays it closer than anything else. However, we are not always successful. Actually, we are far from successful! This passage of scripture is a very clear reminder of this. "Do everything without grumbling or arguing." What? Everything? Even clean up the mess he made in the kitchen? Even pick his towel up off the floor that he laid directly beside of the hamper rather than in it? Even scratching his head while all he is doing is watching TV and I am trying to read for school? Even that...Seriously? Even school, without grumbling? REALLY?
Well....yes.
That is hard to swallow and it is just the first half of the first scripture in this passage. Even when we feel we are not being appreciated or we are asked to do something that we really don't have time or just don't want to do, we should do it anyway and do it without grumbling or arguing so that we can become pure and blameless and without fault in a warped and crooked generation and also so that we will shine among our warped generation like stars in the sky. Yes, I am preaching to myself! I can't tell you how often I do something that I really didn't want to have to do and instead of being appreciative that God gave me arms that work to be able to scratch Brent's head and pick up his towel, I grumble and complain the whole time I'm doing it because, "I shouldn't have to do it." Well, today that stops! Or at least I am going to try to make it stop. For a couple of reasons it stops.
Reason (1) I need to be thankful I have the ability to do it
(2) I need to be thankful for the people I am doing it for (whatever it is and whoever they are)
(3) "I shouldn't have to" is quite frankly the most selfish thing that has probably ever crossed my mind or came out of my mouth. Jesus didn't have to die a miserable, brutal death (and He really didn't have to) BUT HE DID! For some people who wouldn't even be born, like this warped generation, for 2,000+ years to come! Who am I to say "I shouldn't have to" do anything? and last but certainly not least;
(4) The end of that passage of scripture says, "Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." WOW! Imagine what witnesses we could be if we could quit grumbling and arguing. We would then shine among a crooked, twisted, wicked, warped generation like stars in the sky. Isn't that what we are called to do anyway? That is our whole purpose in this world. To show God's love to a warped and crooked generation and to shine that love like stars in the sky and unfortunately we are too concerned about ourselves and our selfish motives that we argue and grumble more than we speak love, joy, peace, grace, mercy, forgiveness, gospel, good news, JESUS!
I plan on memorizing this passage of scripture and next time I am tempted to grumble and complain I am going to remind myself that Jesus went through a lot worse than I might be temporarily dealing with at the moment. I'll also remind myself that there is no way I can show all of God's amazing qualities through me when I am exhibiting characteristics that contradict Him, like grumbling and arguing.
My prayer today:
Jesus, thank you for your grace and mercy and forgiveness.
Thank you for loving me through all of those rough qualities and for giving me so much when I don't deserve anything.
Thank you that grace is not fair because if it was, I would be in trouble!
Help me let go of the selfish attitude and help me be more like you with a servant's heart and mind.
Help me remember that it is not all about me and there is such a greater purpose.
Help me shine for you like the stars in the sky and reach a generation that is crooked and warped.
I love you, Lord! Today is all yours, I give it to you.
In your name I pray.
Amen.
xoxo,
Em
Monday, February 23, 2015
My Nine (Somewhat Secret) Dreams
Several weeks ago a friend of mine posted her ten (somewhat secret) dreams on her blog. As I read through her dreams, I became increasingly encouraged to talk to God about mine. I think we all honestly have dreams that we don't really talk about, sometimes not even to God, but we should! God loves our dreams, he loves to hear them, he loves to encourage them, he places them in our hearts and loves to see us take steps in him to grow them. I commented on my friend's post and God knew I would need a little encouraging of my own, so he used her to encourage me to post my dreams. She messaged me later and everything that she said was what I needed to hear from God. That next day I was intentional about getting alone with God and really reflecting on what is in my heart, what he has placed there, and writing those dreams down. I prayed over them and handed them over to God and then laid them down...which I should not have done! I realize that now. Yes, I got busy and school started back, but that can't be an excuse, so, here goes! Here are my nine (because two of them were really similar so I made them one), (somewhat secret) dreams that I plan to be working towards with God in 2015 and the years to come. These are close to my heart and I have kept them there for a very long time. Hopefully sharing them with you will help me get more intentional about working towards them, giving them to God and knowing that God has placed them in my heart and He will gladly help me achieve them. So here they are, my nine (somewhat secret) dreams.
1. I want my worship ministry to be used in a mighty way
I have been leading people in worship for quite some time now and it is truly my heart. I want to share my songs and music, share my passion for praise and lead people into God's presence through worship. I want to serve God and serve people with my worship ministry.
2. I want to be so full of the word that it gushes out over every part of my life
Every time I think about that the best word that comes to mind is "gushes." I want God to fill me so full of his love and his word that every person around me feels him and wants to know him...I want his spirit to "gush" out all over the place and let people know there is something truly different about me and that is that I know the Son of God personally! And they can too!
3. I want to be a wife after God's own heart, to become a wife that honors God and then my husband above everything else
I want the phrase "made in his image and likeness" to mean something deeper. I want that to mean that in every facet of my marriage and my life I am a portrait of Jesus. Since before I met my husband God has been working on me with this. I began really studying about being a woman of this nature in undergrad and it has never left my mind. I read and pray and strive to do this in my actions but I'm not always successful. I want to be a woman so full of faith that it overflows to everyone around me and it covers my husband daily. I want God's love to gush out of me and I want my husband to draw strength from that. I want to be a woman that my husband is proud to call his wife and I want to honor God with my marriage and my role as a wife.
4. I want to be a powerful, strong, "ezer" help for my husband
No, I didn't just misspell the word ever. Ha! Ezer is a Hebrew word that is a combination of two Hebrew words meaning "to rescue, to save" and "strength." This is the word that the bible uses in Genesis 2 to describe Eve as Adam's helper. There are a few interesting things about this word. The first is that it is only used in the Old Testament twenty one times. Two of those times refer to women, three of those times were used in a military context, and sixteen of those times the word was used in reference to God as a helper. How cool is that!? We are meant to be helpers like God! Powerful, strong helpers. I want to be this kind of helper to my husband. I want him to draw strength from me and know that I am always his help, his strong, powerful help! I want to be a valuable strength, a suitable helper, a powerful rescue for my husband.
5. I want to obtain and maintain a gentle, quiet spirit
This one is hard for me...like really hard! Some of you may not believe this but Brent and I are both very passionate people. We get something in our heads and that is the way it is, unless God tells us otherwise we are not changing our minds. You also may not believe this but sometimes this causes problems. Along the way God is slowly breaking both of this and we have both grown tremendously, but this has caused me to be completely aware of my need for the Holy Spirit to take over my thoughts, actions, language, emotions, really every part of me. Instead of getting upset and raising my voice, I want to be a person who speaks the truth with grace and gentleness. I want to be a person whose spirit is powerful in a gentle and kind way. I want my words to affect people because of the grace and gentleness hidden down beneath them. I want to handle my interactions with everyone, especially my husband that way, with a gentle, quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:4
6. I want my husband and I to really find our niche in ministry together and begin moving toward it.
Obviously we are all called into ministry in some form or fashion. God has called us each of us to use our talents in some way, to glorify him and his kingdom. I want my marriage to take on a ministry of it's own. I want God to use Brent and I in some way to really impact the world around us, radically! Marriage is a huge ministry in and of itself, especially these days when marriages are attacked by the devil the way that they are. I want us to be a testament of God's grace, patience, mercy, endurance and LOVE! I want God to take us and our marriage to new heights and use us together powerfully!
7. I want God to use law school for whatever he sees fit, maybe not even at all (in terms of practicing).
If you know me well, you have probably heard me say that I am not sure why I am in law school. Yea, I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. If I am being honest I like the law, but not enough to do it every single day. I am so frustrated with school and so tired of it that I am ways beyond done with it...and I have a year and a half to go! Apparently, every law student feels this way right about now, but it is scary. So, I want God to use it, or not use it, however he sees fit. I want to be entirely in his will with my career. Right now, everything in me wants a baby! I want to be a mom and a wife more than anything in the world, but my responsible husband says that we can't have a baby until school is over, which is really hard for me because of what I want. But, what I want and my timing is not always God's and right now I don't know what God wants for all of this. I want God to direct my career path and put me exactly where he wants me, whether that is practicing law or being a stay at home mom...wherever God puts me is where I want to be.
8. I want God to use this blog.
That sounds so simple and it really is. Whether it be one person or 100,000 people, I want God to reach somebody through my thoughts and my heart that I pour out on this page. I want people to read this blond know that Jesus loves them and that it is okay to not be perfect because none of us are and Jesus loves imperfection. No matter what he loves us. That is what I want people to get from this blog more than anything.
9. Write a new CD's worth of songs this year
I have been a singer/songwriter/musician for as long as I can remember. I am so thankful God gave me that gift and I have wanted to share that with the world for just as long. I've written books worth of songs and song ideas but only followed up with one of them and carried it through the full recording process. I want to write songs that serve and honor God and that serve other people in worship. God has already started placing giving me these new songs and flooding me with ideas and lyrics but I don't want them to end up like all of the other one, in a book, on a shelf, unfinished. I want this CD to be prayerful and worshipful and I want it to serve God and others in such a way that is moves people to their core and moves them directly to God.
Now that you have read my nine (somewhat secret) dreams I encourage you to get alone with God and write down yours! God will honor that and you will not be sorry that you did. :)
My prayer for today:
Jesus, help me to remember these and keep them close to my heart. Help me be patient and also intentional about working toward them. Thank you for placing them in my heart and thank you for equipping me with all I need to accomplish them. Thank you for your help and your love for me.
I love you, Lord.
Amen.
xoxo,
Em
1. I want my worship ministry to be used in a mighty way
I have been leading people in worship for quite some time now and it is truly my heart. I want to share my songs and music, share my passion for praise and lead people into God's presence through worship. I want to serve God and serve people with my worship ministry.
2. I want to be so full of the word that it gushes out over every part of my life
Every time I think about that the best word that comes to mind is "gushes." I want God to fill me so full of his love and his word that every person around me feels him and wants to know him...I want his spirit to "gush" out all over the place and let people know there is something truly different about me and that is that I know the Son of God personally! And they can too!
3. I want to be a wife after God's own heart, to become a wife that honors God and then my husband above everything else
I want the phrase "made in his image and likeness" to mean something deeper. I want that to mean that in every facet of my marriage and my life I am a portrait of Jesus. Since before I met my husband God has been working on me with this. I began really studying about being a woman of this nature in undergrad and it has never left my mind. I read and pray and strive to do this in my actions but I'm not always successful. I want to be a woman so full of faith that it overflows to everyone around me and it covers my husband daily. I want God's love to gush out of me and I want my husband to draw strength from that. I want to be a woman that my husband is proud to call his wife and I want to honor God with my marriage and my role as a wife.
4. I want to be a powerful, strong, "ezer" help for my husband
No, I didn't just misspell the word ever. Ha! Ezer is a Hebrew word that is a combination of two Hebrew words meaning "to rescue, to save" and "strength." This is the word that the bible uses in Genesis 2 to describe Eve as Adam's helper. There are a few interesting things about this word. The first is that it is only used in the Old Testament twenty one times. Two of those times refer to women, three of those times were used in a military context, and sixteen of those times the word was used in reference to God as a helper. How cool is that!? We are meant to be helpers like God! Powerful, strong helpers. I want to be this kind of helper to my husband. I want him to draw strength from me and know that I am always his help, his strong, powerful help! I want to be a valuable strength, a suitable helper, a powerful rescue for my husband.
5. I want to obtain and maintain a gentle, quiet spirit
This one is hard for me...like really hard! Some of you may not believe this but Brent and I are both very passionate people. We get something in our heads and that is the way it is, unless God tells us otherwise we are not changing our minds. You also may not believe this but sometimes this causes problems. Along the way God is slowly breaking both of this and we have both grown tremendously, but this has caused me to be completely aware of my need for the Holy Spirit to take over my thoughts, actions, language, emotions, really every part of me. Instead of getting upset and raising my voice, I want to be a person who speaks the truth with grace and gentleness. I want to be a person whose spirit is powerful in a gentle and kind way. I want my words to affect people because of the grace and gentleness hidden down beneath them. I want to handle my interactions with everyone, especially my husband that way, with a gentle, quiet spirit. 1 Peter 3:4
6. I want my husband and I to really find our niche in ministry together and begin moving toward it.
Obviously we are all called into ministry in some form or fashion. God has called us each of us to use our talents in some way, to glorify him and his kingdom. I want my marriage to take on a ministry of it's own. I want God to use Brent and I in some way to really impact the world around us, radically! Marriage is a huge ministry in and of itself, especially these days when marriages are attacked by the devil the way that they are. I want us to be a testament of God's grace, patience, mercy, endurance and LOVE! I want God to take us and our marriage to new heights and use us together powerfully!
7. I want God to use law school for whatever he sees fit, maybe not even at all (in terms of practicing).
If you know me well, you have probably heard me say that I am not sure why I am in law school. Yea, I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. If I am being honest I like the law, but not enough to do it every single day. I am so frustrated with school and so tired of it that I am ways beyond done with it...and I have a year and a half to go! Apparently, every law student feels this way right about now, but it is scary. So, I want God to use it, or not use it, however he sees fit. I want to be entirely in his will with my career. Right now, everything in me wants a baby! I want to be a mom and a wife more than anything in the world, but my responsible husband says that we can't have a baby until school is over, which is really hard for me because of what I want. But, what I want and my timing is not always God's and right now I don't know what God wants for all of this. I want God to direct my career path and put me exactly where he wants me, whether that is practicing law or being a stay at home mom...wherever God puts me is where I want to be.
8. I want God to use this blog.
That sounds so simple and it really is. Whether it be one person or 100,000 people, I want God to reach somebody through my thoughts and my heart that I pour out on this page. I want people to read this blond know that Jesus loves them and that it is okay to not be perfect because none of us are and Jesus loves imperfection. No matter what he loves us. That is what I want people to get from this blog more than anything.
9. Write a new CD's worth of songs this year
I have been a singer/songwriter/musician for as long as I can remember. I am so thankful God gave me that gift and I have wanted to share that with the world for just as long. I've written books worth of songs and song ideas but only followed up with one of them and carried it through the full recording process. I want to write songs that serve and honor God and that serve other people in worship. God has already started placing giving me these new songs and flooding me with ideas and lyrics but I don't want them to end up like all of the other one, in a book, on a shelf, unfinished. I want this CD to be prayerful and worshipful and I want it to serve God and others in such a way that is moves people to their core and moves them directly to God.
Now that you have read my nine (somewhat secret) dreams I encourage you to get alone with God and write down yours! God will honor that and you will not be sorry that you did. :)
My prayer for today:
Jesus, help me to remember these and keep them close to my heart. Help me be patient and also intentional about working toward them. Thank you for placing them in my heart and thank you for equipping me with all I need to accomplish them. Thank you for your help and your love for me.
I love you, Lord.
Amen.
xoxo,
Em
Friday, February 6, 2015
Why I personally will not be watching Fifty Shades of Grey.
Maybe this is the lawyer in me but let me give a little
disclaimer before I say all of this:
I am not
writing this to condemn anybody who genuinely sees this as just another movie
and will be watching it. I am not judging anyone for going to watch it, or for
reading the book, as a matter of fact, I have friends and family of my own who
have read the book and plan on watching the movie. I AM NOT BEING JUDGEMENTAL!
Please do not think that, however if you do think that, that will have to be
alright because the Holy Spirit laid this on my heart and if I do not write it,
I will regret it. If I’ve learned anything in my short twenty-three years on
the Earth, it is that I cannot ignore God and what he asks of me. So, here goes
nothing…
Now, if I
am being honest, I attempted to read the book when it first came out. I wanted
to see what all the hype was about, but I was about fifty pages in and it
didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Also, again, if I am truly being honest with
you, I was a little convicted by it, so I stopped reading. I will also admit
that I watched Magic Mike and was convicted by that too. Now that I have been
honest with you about my convictions and lapses in judgment, let me give you the
reasoning behind these convictions.
Reason #1: It is pornography. PERIOD. But, it isn’t just
sex, it is bondage, domination, and abuse. Yes, you can still have those things
in a consensual relationship. From my understanding there are even times when
Anastasia, the main female character, talks of feeling threatened. That is
scary stuff! And if I watch it, I feel
like I will be supporting it. I don’t want to support that. God doesn’t want me
to support that. Pornography is a big enough problem in our culture, much less
the kind of pornography portrayed in this book and movie.
Reason #2: I have a serious problem with the fact that this
movie is being released where teenagers will be able to go out and watch it on
their date night! I know it is rated R but in my town teenagers get into rated
R movies all the time. What do you think
will happen after they leave the movies? I personally feel like the movie will
encourage them to attempt to experience the feelings they saw portrayed in the
movie on their way home from their date, maybe even in the backseat of a car? I
was a teenager once. I remember how it worked (again, I am being blatantly
honest). This movie may encourage them to lose the most sacred part of
themselves. The part of themselves that God has given them to carry into their
marriage. A huge part of themselves, which I personally believe, the
significance of which has been so lost in our culture that it has caused
divorce rates to skyrocket, families to break apart and marriages to be treated
like a temporary deal that means no more than a big party (the wedding), with
an awesome vacation afterwards (the honeymoon). I don’t want to support that.
I have several other reasons but for sake of time and how
long this blog post will be, I am only going to offer one more.
Reason #3: Christians are already viewed as hypocrites.
Statistics show that one of the biggest reasons non-believers want nothing to
do with the church is because of how hypocritical believers, Christ followers,
or people who call themselves Christ followers are. I do not want someone who I
am supposed to be leading to Christ, to view me as hypocritical because I am at
church on Sunday, lifting my hands and my eyes to the Lord and singing my heart
out to Him but on Saturday, with those same eyes, I am at the movies watching
something that promotes everything that is the exact opposite of Christ and his
love and what his model for love and sex in marriage is.
This is his model: “Wives,
submit to you own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself it’s
Savior. Now as the church submits to
Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands,
love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with
the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without
spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish.
In the same way husbands should love
their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no
one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ
does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall
leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become
one flesh.” The mystery is profound, and
I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of
you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her
husband.” Ephesians 5:22-33
How would I not be sending mixed
messages to non-believers by supporting this? How is Ephesians 5:22-33 and Fifty
Shades of Grey not contradictory to Christ’s message of love? Does Ephesians 5:22-33
sound like Christian Grey and Anastasia?
How is it
okay to judge people for what they say and wear and how they act towards the
church when we as the church are going out and supporting a movie and book that
are the antithesis of who Christ is? Sin
is sin.
I could go on and on for hours
but I won’t. As I said earlier, this is between you and God and the bible says
to “work out your own souls salvation, with fear and trembling.” Philippians
2:12 If this does not honestly convict you then that is fine. It is between you
and Jesus. I am just being honest about my convictions and writing this because
the Holy Spirit laid it on my heart. I would rather please the Lord and make
some people upset with me than please people and hurt the Lord.
I love all of you guys!
xoxo,
Em
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
How many times are we more thankful for the product of relationships, rather than relationships themselves?
I've been thinking a lot lately about being thankful. I know, it is a topic that is discussed pretty often by many different people but I am talking about being thankful in a different way than our typical thankful. So what do I mean by this? A few weeks back I was buried deep into my books studying for exams and my mother-in-law came to clean my house for me. She knew that I was busy and frustrated because I couldn't stop studying in order to get my house together so she came over and did it for me while I studied. I was so grateful for that. That meant the world to me! I started thinking about that and I realized, more often than not, it seems like we are more thankful for what people do for us than the people themselves...maybe that is just me but in all honesty, it is true! After coming to this realization, I started thinking back to all the people I am so thankful for. All the people God strategically places in our lives to show us his goodness and give us relationship. For example my husband, who supports me 100% of the time and who tries to love me the way Christ loved the church, my mom, who I know prays for me continuously and without that I am certain I could not get through law school, or my God-mother, who also prays for me continuously and sends me cards with sweet, encouraging words that I somehow manage to get every time I am in need of them, or my roommates from college who have become some of my best friends and are such women of faith and who I know would drop everything and run to me if I was in need. The list goes on and on and on. How many times are we more thankful for the product of relationships rather than the relationship itself?
I have come to realize that it is SO important to be thankful for the people that God places in our lives. Every person God strategically places in our lives is a blessing, whether they be parents or pastors or siblings or friends, they are blessings. So instead of thinking of all the things you are thankful for (which is good too, I am not knocking being thankful for things) try being thankful for people and relationships.
Jesus,
Today I pray that you will help me become more aware of how blessed I am to have the people in my life that you have placed there. Thank you so much for those people, for their hearts and for their talents. Thank you Lord for placing them in my life and for allowing me the privilege to know them. Father, I ask you to bless them and show them how much you care for them. Please keep them in your arms. Thank you Jesus for relationship, for relationship with these wonderful people you have placed in my life but most importantly, for relationship with you. Father, help me remember how important these people are and that they are special. Jesus, help us to love one another as we love ourselves and help us glorify you in that. I love you, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.
xoxo,
Em
I have come to realize that it is SO important to be thankful for the people that God places in our lives. Every person God strategically places in our lives is a blessing, whether they be parents or pastors or siblings or friends, they are blessings. So instead of thinking of all the things you are thankful for (which is good too, I am not knocking being thankful for things) try being thankful for people and relationships.
Jesus,
Today I pray that you will help me become more aware of how blessed I am to have the people in my life that you have placed there. Thank you so much for those people, for their hearts and for their talents. Thank you Lord for placing them in my life and for allowing me the privilege to know them. Father, I ask you to bless them and show them how much you care for them. Please keep them in your arms. Thank you Jesus for relationship, for relationship with these wonderful people you have placed in my life but most importantly, for relationship with you. Father, help me remember how important these people are and that they are special. Jesus, help us to love one another as we love ourselves and help us glorify you in that. I love you, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.
xoxo,
Em
Thursday, December 4, 2014
It's Okay If You Aren't Holding Up Your End Of The Bargain, Because This Deal With God Is Not A Bargain, It Is A Gift!
So it is that time again....exam time. The one of two times in the year when I really feel like I cling to God more than ever. It's true, if I don't get anything else out of law school or exam time at least I got some good one on one time with God because he knows I run to him for help more during this time than ever! I know, I know, it shouldn't be that way. I wish it wasn't. I wish I made time every, single day to sit with God and just talk and study his word. I try to do that too but I am not always successful. I would give you an excuse for that but my only excuse is that I am a busy law student/wife and even that is not a good excuse because neither of those things come before Jesus, at least they shouldn't. But, God is full of grace and even when we don't give him our first fruits, when we don't give him the time he deserves, he makes time for us, he gives us grace.
The past two weeks my life has evolved around studying. I get up and eat breakfast, do some kind of little workout (when I say little, I am talking like push-ups and squats and I'm done), shower, eat, maybe read a chapter of my bible and then start studying. I take breaks to eat. I have gone and spent some one on one time with my husband a couple of times in the evenings after a whole day of studying but other than that...just studying. You get the picture. Anyway, I really haven't spent a ton of time with God. When the "hard core" studying started, I guess about two weeks ago now, God decided to get my attention since I wasn't giving it to him willfully. After a full day of everything I just described to you, I woke up in the middle of the night wide awake. I woke up because I was fighting with my annual bout of bronchitis and coughing a lung out. I laid there for a few minutes hacking and started to get frustrated. My first thought was, "Really! I have studied all day. I am worn out. I have to get up and study again tomorrow and I need to sleep right now!" Then something really cool happened...God stepped in! Very clearly he spoke to my heart and said, "I can't get your attention any other time, so I have to do it in the middle of the night, when I know you can't go anywhere and do anything else." WHAT!!!!!??? WOW!!!! Immediately I stopped being so frustrated that I was awake and started being so thankful and humbled at the thought that Jesus came to me in the middle of the night because he just wanted to talk to me! Even when I had been neglecting him, he took the time to come to me when he knew that I wouldn't have a choice but to listen.
Believe it or not, the story gets even better!
I immediately started praying. I just started praying for a little bit of everything but there was one topic in particular I couldn't seem to get away from. Over and over this subject kept coming back to me and it had to do with my husband. Finally, while my husband was sleeping I wrapped my arms around him and just started praying for him and that subject. Me and Jesus had a real "come to Jesus" for about an hour and a half that night. The next day, my husband came home from work and told me a story. Low and behold, God had made it very clear that he was starting to work on the situation that I couldn't stop praying about the night before. My jaw dropped! Brent said, "I was kind of in and out for some of last night, is that what you were praying about?" It was! It was exactly what Jesus woke me up to talk about.
Isn't it awesome that even when we neglect God and we don't give him all of the time he deserves, he still loves us enough to wake us up in the middle of the night, the only time he knows we will be listening and talk to us about something he is working on?! That is the coolest thing! That is the amazing daddy that we have. The next Sunday at church God gave us more confirmation when one of our pastors was preaching on exactly what we were praying for! God likes to let us know that even when we aren't holding up our end of "the bargain" that is okay, because this deal with God isn't a bargain, it is a gift! It is LOVE! Unconditional, merciful, graceful, patient, peaceful, love.
Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
Dear Jesus,
Thank you so much for your love. Thank you so much for the kind of love that is patient and merciful. Thank you that even when I get busy with things going on in the world and I don't give you the time you deserve, you still love me enough to come sit with me and tell me what you want me to know. Thank you Jesus, that if we acknowledge you in all that we do, you make our paths straight. Thank you for preparing the way for us! Thank you, Jesus. Help us to devote all of ourselves to you and to not let the rush of life get in the way of time with you. I love you, Lord!
Amen.
xoxo,
Emily
The past two weeks my life has evolved around studying. I get up and eat breakfast, do some kind of little workout (when I say little, I am talking like push-ups and squats and I'm done), shower, eat, maybe read a chapter of my bible and then start studying. I take breaks to eat. I have gone and spent some one on one time with my husband a couple of times in the evenings after a whole day of studying but other than that...just studying. You get the picture. Anyway, I really haven't spent a ton of time with God. When the "hard core" studying started, I guess about two weeks ago now, God decided to get my attention since I wasn't giving it to him willfully. After a full day of everything I just described to you, I woke up in the middle of the night wide awake. I woke up because I was fighting with my annual bout of bronchitis and coughing a lung out. I laid there for a few minutes hacking and started to get frustrated. My first thought was, "Really! I have studied all day. I am worn out. I have to get up and study again tomorrow and I need to sleep right now!" Then something really cool happened...God stepped in! Very clearly he spoke to my heart and said, "I can't get your attention any other time, so I have to do it in the middle of the night, when I know you can't go anywhere and do anything else." WHAT!!!!!??? WOW!!!! Immediately I stopped being so frustrated that I was awake and started being so thankful and humbled at the thought that Jesus came to me in the middle of the night because he just wanted to talk to me! Even when I had been neglecting him, he took the time to come to me when he knew that I wouldn't have a choice but to listen.
Believe it or not, the story gets even better!
I immediately started praying. I just started praying for a little bit of everything but there was one topic in particular I couldn't seem to get away from. Over and over this subject kept coming back to me and it had to do with my husband. Finally, while my husband was sleeping I wrapped my arms around him and just started praying for him and that subject. Me and Jesus had a real "come to Jesus" for about an hour and a half that night. The next day, my husband came home from work and told me a story. Low and behold, God had made it very clear that he was starting to work on the situation that I couldn't stop praying about the night before. My jaw dropped! Brent said, "I was kind of in and out for some of last night, is that what you were praying about?" It was! It was exactly what Jesus woke me up to talk about.
Isn't it awesome that even when we neglect God and we don't give him all of the time he deserves, he still loves us enough to wake us up in the middle of the night, the only time he knows we will be listening and talk to us about something he is working on?! That is the coolest thing! That is the amazing daddy that we have. The next Sunday at church God gave us more confirmation when one of our pastors was preaching on exactly what we were praying for! God likes to let us know that even when we aren't holding up our end of "the bargain" that is okay, because this deal with God isn't a bargain, it is a gift! It is LOVE! Unconditional, merciful, graceful, patient, peaceful, love.
Proverbs 3:6 "In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
Dear Jesus,
Thank you so much for your love. Thank you so much for the kind of love that is patient and merciful. Thank you that even when I get busy with things going on in the world and I don't give you the time you deserve, you still love me enough to come sit with me and tell me what you want me to know. Thank you Jesus, that if we acknowledge you in all that we do, you make our paths straight. Thank you for preparing the way for us! Thank you, Jesus. Help us to devote all of ourselves to you and to not let the rush of life get in the way of time with you. I love you, Lord!
Amen.
xoxo,
Emily
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Ignoring God, When All He Wants is to Help You!
"You're a wonderful wife, don't let anybody tell you any different, alright?!" My husband said that to me today. I'm not sure whether he was saying it because he knows how I have been struggling lately to be a law student and a new wife or if he just felt like saying it. Either way, it encouraged me, it was just what I needed to hear at that moment. As you know, Brent and I were married just a little over a month ago. After the wedding and the honeymoon, classes started back just nine days later. Transitioning from our wonderful honeymoon to trying to get our house in order and everything unpacked and put away, to starting back to class has not been the easiest. My motivation for school is...for lack of a better word, lacking, and I just want to be a wife.
Lots of people warned me of this before Brent and I got married but it hasn't been quite like they said. Yes, it is hard to be a law student and a new wife but that isn't the part that bothers me, like many people said it would be. What bothers me is that sometimes I feel like I am not living up to the Proverbs 31 description of a wife because I am too busy with school. I get home from class and all I want to do is cook dinner and pick up the house, maybe wash clothes, you know, all of those "wife things" you do. The problem is, I get home and I have pages and pages of reading and research and it is all I can do to get something out of the crock pot and have it ready for Brent, much less the meal that I feel like he deserves. This might all sound crazy, but I really feel this way.
No, my husband does not demand I be that stereotypical wife that does everything he says to do whenever he says to do it but I desire so much to be the wife that I feel like he deserves. Just to make it clear, he has cooked us dinner several times, it isn't that he is a bad cook or that he gets upset when he has to do it, it is just that I feel guilty letting him. So, last night, I had a meltdown. Crying and pouting and trying my best to explain to him how I felt, or at least how I thought I felt. Over and over I told him he didn't understand and I didn't want to be a law student as bad as I needed to want it, to be able to get through school. I told him I just wanted to be a wife and eventually a mom and that all law school did was get in the way of that....and on, and on, and on. He finally interrupted me and corrected me, he said, "Why are you ignoring God? You never ignore God. You are not listening to him at all." He continued, "Over and over I have seen him reassure you that this is what he wants from you right now and you keep acting like that is not the case. God has shown you that you can do this and he wants you to, so don't worry about me and cooking dinner and washing laundry, it is my turn to take care of that. Worry about what God wants from you right now. Worry about school and let me carry the rest of it. I want to" Wow...at first I was resistant to that. It wasn't until today when he said, "You're a wonderful wife, don't let anybody tell you any different, alright?!" that I realized I am so blessed and that yes, like Brent said, I was ignoring God. I can be the Proverbs 31 wife I want to be and still allow Brent to help me, help is okay, as a matter of fact, it is good! Just because he does a little more than I would like for him to right now, does not mean that I am not doing my job as a wife. I need to accept that and be thankful that I have a husband who is loving and caring and Godly enough to realize when he needs to help, or even wants to help!
Have you ever found yourself so wrapped up in trying to be something else, that you don't realize you are ignoring God? Like me, trying to live up to my ideal version of a wife, it may be a great thing you are trying to do. But, sometimes even the great things get put on hold and it is not God telling you not to work towards that or that it is wrong, but it is God telling you that you are in the right place and that you just need to slow down and accept help. If you are in that place, just take a breath. Slow everything down, let somebody help you and don't feel guilty for letting them. Realize that God is not telling you to quit, he is just telling you to slow down! Listen to him, he will lead you in the right direction and provide help for you if you are willing to take it.
So my prayer today is:
Jesus, you see how hard I am trying. You know my heart and my desire to be the best wife I can be. To live up to my standard as a Proverbs 31 wife and to give Brent all that he deserves. Jesus, you see how hard it is for me to do it all. Thank you for telling me that it is okay, to not be able to do it all. Thank you for sending me the best husband in the world, who is willing to help me and who doesn't want me to do it alone. Thank you for helping me realize that I just wasn't listening to you and that I am in the right place doing the right thing and for helping me slow down. I love you so much, Lord. I just want to do this right, thank you for helping me! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Just take it to God! His burden is light! :)
xoxo,
-Em
Lots of people warned me of this before Brent and I got married but it hasn't been quite like they said. Yes, it is hard to be a law student and a new wife but that isn't the part that bothers me, like many people said it would be. What bothers me is that sometimes I feel like I am not living up to the Proverbs 31 description of a wife because I am too busy with school. I get home from class and all I want to do is cook dinner and pick up the house, maybe wash clothes, you know, all of those "wife things" you do. The problem is, I get home and I have pages and pages of reading and research and it is all I can do to get something out of the crock pot and have it ready for Brent, much less the meal that I feel like he deserves. This might all sound crazy, but I really feel this way.
No, my husband does not demand I be that stereotypical wife that does everything he says to do whenever he says to do it but I desire so much to be the wife that I feel like he deserves. Just to make it clear, he has cooked us dinner several times, it isn't that he is a bad cook or that he gets upset when he has to do it, it is just that I feel guilty letting him. So, last night, I had a meltdown. Crying and pouting and trying my best to explain to him how I felt, or at least how I thought I felt. Over and over I told him he didn't understand and I didn't want to be a law student as bad as I needed to want it, to be able to get through school. I told him I just wanted to be a wife and eventually a mom and that all law school did was get in the way of that....and on, and on, and on. He finally interrupted me and corrected me, he said, "Why are you ignoring God? You never ignore God. You are not listening to him at all." He continued, "Over and over I have seen him reassure you that this is what he wants from you right now and you keep acting like that is not the case. God has shown you that you can do this and he wants you to, so don't worry about me and cooking dinner and washing laundry, it is my turn to take care of that. Worry about what God wants from you right now. Worry about school and let me carry the rest of it. I want to" Wow...at first I was resistant to that. It wasn't until today when he said, "You're a wonderful wife, don't let anybody tell you any different, alright?!" that I realized I am so blessed and that yes, like Brent said, I was ignoring God. I can be the Proverbs 31 wife I want to be and still allow Brent to help me, help is okay, as a matter of fact, it is good! Just because he does a little more than I would like for him to right now, does not mean that I am not doing my job as a wife. I need to accept that and be thankful that I have a husband who is loving and caring and Godly enough to realize when he needs to help, or even wants to help!
Have you ever found yourself so wrapped up in trying to be something else, that you don't realize you are ignoring God? Like me, trying to live up to my ideal version of a wife, it may be a great thing you are trying to do. But, sometimes even the great things get put on hold and it is not God telling you not to work towards that or that it is wrong, but it is God telling you that you are in the right place and that you just need to slow down and accept help. If you are in that place, just take a breath. Slow everything down, let somebody help you and don't feel guilty for letting them. Realize that God is not telling you to quit, he is just telling you to slow down! Listen to him, he will lead you in the right direction and provide help for you if you are willing to take it.
So my prayer today is:
Jesus, you see how hard I am trying. You know my heart and my desire to be the best wife I can be. To live up to my standard as a Proverbs 31 wife and to give Brent all that he deserves. Jesus, you see how hard it is for me to do it all. Thank you for telling me that it is okay, to not be able to do it all. Thank you for sending me the best husband in the world, who is willing to help me and who doesn't want me to do it alone. Thank you for helping me realize that I just wasn't listening to you and that I am in the right place doing the right thing and for helping me slow down. I love you so much, Lord. I just want to do this right, thank you for helping me! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Just take it to God! His burden is light! :)
xoxo,
-Em
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