I know who my Father is

I had the great opportunity to spend the 4th of July with Wynn and his family this year. The Raley’s are so precious to me – they have welcomed me into their family with such love and open arms. I am so undeserving and very thankful that God has blessed my life with them. They have modeled for me a type of love and servant hood that I hope to incorporate into my own family one day. Sunday and Monday were spent at a family friends Lake house on Lake St. Claire. We had a ball! The afternoons were filled with tubing and jet skiing, cruising on the boat, and of course fireworks! Prior to this weekend, I had only ridden on a jet ski one time in my life – and I was much younger. Needless to say I was thrilled about being able to not only ride with my best friend but to be able to drive the giant water cruiser myself! It was late morning when Wynn finally said to me the words I had been longing to hear, “Hey, ya ready to go ride the Jet Ski?” I know a huge smile made its way to my face as I responded, “Yes!” Immediately, we raced to get ourselves dressed into our swim suits so that we were sure to secure our “dibs” before the opportunity was gone. As we made our way out onto the lake, the ride was so exciting, bumpy, and fun! As we made our way out to “sight see” all the beautiful homes I was given the glorious opportunity of taking the reigns. Wynn was a great driver, and he was excellent at explaining the entire “411” of boating and driving a jet ski on the lake. As I took hold of the gas and began speeding down the lake, a “dinging” noise began to ring. “Uh oh, we’ve got to go back, we’re about to be out of gas,” Wynn said. “Oh great,” I thought. “We are going to be stranded out here.” Wynn told me to book it back to the dock, so I listened and pressed the gas so hard I even surprised myself. (We were going so fast that a couple times I could have been sure I was going to be flying off and into the water!) Still a newbie when it comes to water sports, and giving our limited amount of unknown time before we actually ran completely out of gas, Wynn took the steering wheel as we attempted to make our way back. All of a sudden I began to notice the unfamiliarity of our location… and was pretty sure we were heading in the wrong direction. (Lake St. Claire is a huge lake and it is quite understandable that someone could get mixed up as to where they are.) We pull off to the side of the lake and try to make sense of what was happening as well as to where we were. We start to head back in what we believe is the right direction only to finally run out of gas in the middle of the lake. We began to fervently “discuss” our options. I must admit I was rather panicky but Wynn stayed calm, cool, and collected. (He is so patient with me!) Part of our conversation went something like this: “So how long are we going to sit out here Wynn? Shouldn’t we try and stop someone and ask for help?” “What are we going to tell them if they do stop? …We’re lost? They won’t even know where to take us.” “Well when do you think your dad will come looking for us? I mean it’s going to take them a while to figure out we’ve run out of gas!” “Emily, I know who my daddy is. He is going to come find us and He will know where to look for us.” As soon as he spoke those words I immediately became silent. I did know who Mr. Ben was and if anyone would know where to come look for us and how to find us, it would be him. I would have been content waiting for him to come and rescue us because I knew that having faith in him wasn’t a blind faith but a hopeful one. Too, as soon as those words left Wynn’s lips, I immediately connected our scenario to God. When we are lost and stranded in a situation that seems bleak and hopeless, we can have hope that we serve a God who is faithful. We can wait patiently and say, “I know who my daddy is!” He isn’t going to leave us, He won’t forget about us… He knows the very moment we need help and has already begun preparing His supernatural and heavenly efforts to rescue us. We obviously were rescued. Some nice boaters stopped and helped us – the adventure continued with a failed rescue attempt and a flipped over Jet Ski – but Mr. Ben sure enough showed up and we created a lifelong memory to add to our book of special moments. Isaiah 29:29, “He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.” Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”

“And yes it’s true, these words still ring true, there’s no one I’d rather be stranded with than you!”

Strong Enough

Well, here I am – blogging again! For some reason the past few nights I have had trouble sleeping – and as exciting as this may sound I can assure you that it has been everything less than exciting and fun. I like to sleep. However, I know Satan has been trying to use this to his advantage: taking my thoughts to places they have no business being, doubting what the Lord has promised me, and a pile of other “if, and, and but’s!” As I was laying in bed one night, attempting to distract my mind from the restlessness of not being able to sleep, I had begun to think about all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me recently as well as what seems to be a huge chunk of responsibilities I don’t think I am going to be able to handle all at one time. I will give you a few examples so you are not left in the dark: When I return to Truett in the fall I will be employed as a Resident Assistant for one of the girl’s dorms. This is an exciting opportunity filled with a number of responsibilities. Not only are you held to a high standard but are also required to invest in the lives of students, getting to know them personally and spiritually. There are activities to plan and rooms to visit. On top of this I have been given the opportunity to play volleyball for TMC in the fall. I am beyond excited about this and those of you who know me understand why. I absolutely love volleyball and I am thrilled to be able to represent the Lord with the gifts and talents He has given me. (An answer to my prayers) But playing a college level sport is a job itself. On top of both of these things I have to keep my grades up so I can keep my scholarships, there are community service projects that I will need to participate it, and for some reason this has all begin to pile up in my head and I cannot do it by myself. I need help! I began to pray and ask the Lord to help me. I told Him that I couldn’t do it by myself and that I needed His guidance and his HELP. As I was driving to work the next day, I pulled into the parking lot and a song by Matthew West began to play called ‘Strong Enough.’ This particular section of the lyrics caught my attention and completely blew me away. “I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be / I give up / I'm not strong enough /Hands of mercy won't you cover me / Lord right now I'm asking you to be / Strong enough / Strong enough / For the both of us.” I sat there in my car and smiled, I couldn’t help it. I’m sure the people passing by with their carts full of groceries thought I was a crazy woman, but I couldn’t help but pray and thank the Lord. “God I don’t have to be strong enough! I am not strong enough so I don’t have to pretend to be strong enough. God didn’t give me these opportunities so that I could show everyone what a great multitasked person I am. He gave them to me so that He could magnify HIS greatness through my shortcomings. Oh how FAITHFUL is MY God. Philippians 4:13, “I can do ALL things through Christ who STRENGTHENS me. “ I just bought ‘Strong Enough’ on itunes… you should check it out.

Humility? Not as hard as you think? ..think again.

I don’t know why, but for some reason I have been running away from the whole “blogging” scene. I love to write – it’s freeing to me, a deep breath out. I can definitely say that I am in desperate need of a FEW deep breaths out. I think one reason I haven’t been investing my time into it is because I have convinced myself that I don’t have anything to write about… nothing good enough to put into words. (Uhhh DUH Em!) God is working in my life! He is teaching me things and allowing me to learn difficult lessons about myself. (Those are generally the hardest to learn…) Summer 2011 has gone a lot differently than I would have thought but God has a purpose in every aspect of life, which I might add, His Word is sufficient to face with and handle any situation in every aspect of life. That was free. (Self-confrontation) My beloved Wynn and I were chatting over the heavenly invention of SKYPE the other day. As we were talking about the different trials we have both been dealing with recently, 1 Peter 5:6-7 was brought to my attention. “Therefore HUMBLE yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” As we were talking about the verse I suddenly realized HOW MUCH this actually applied to me. It applies to everyone but I was sharing it with Wynn as encouragement for his current trial. In reality, God was sharing it with me. Humility is a struggle and if you think that you are exempt from this you are sadly mistaken. Our selfishness comes from the root of a haughty attitude. Our sin stems from selfishness which comes right back down to humility. So many people reject the gospel of Christ because they refuse to admit they are the problem, they refuse to look inside and see the need for change. I say no to sharing the gospel because I am not thinking of the lost soul destined for hell but my own selfish insecurities. Humility is a problem. However, when we humble ourselves under God’s might hand – He gives us strength. We choose to do the right thing, the selfless and humble thing – God exalts us in His perfect timing. How refreshing is that. Yeah, I thought so too.

Justification

Well, I promise to update this more than once a week. There are so many things I could write about but once again the “topic” I had set aside to discuss has been demoted for a more recent update on what was preached in church tonight.  Rev. Smyrl preached on Romans 8 and focused in on verse 31,

“If God is for us, who is against us?”

He also talked about justification, which is where I want to spend my time. (This one will actually be short!) Rev. Smyrl gave an example of a real life event that had happened to him. He and a man had been having a conversation about this topic and this is what the man said. “I think I get it. So we, as humans and sinners, (one in the same) have a dirty, sinful, and broken inside, but because of Jesus we are covered by His goodness on the outside – that’s how it works. That’s why a holy God can look at us, even though we are sinful creatures.” (I’m paraphrasing by the way, despite my wonderful listening skills I cannot remember exactly what was said during the service.) Rev. Smyrl replied and said, “You’re asking the right questions but you see, it’s the exact opposite. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, He makes us new. He purifies and cleanses our INSIDE and until we arrive in Heaven where He will give us new glorified bodies, we are stuck in this OLD WRAPPER.” Did you catch that!? I did not realize, until tonight, that I had a completely distorted view of justification. God has cleaned my inside and made it white as snow – He has called me daughter and has made me and heir, which completely blows my mind. I am a sinner, yes – but I have been made new and I long for the day when Christ’s work will be completed in me and I will obtain my glorified body.

Check Your Heart...

Well, before any one has the chance to say it, ‘I know it has been FOREVER and way too long since I have blogged!’ I just finished up my second year of college and my first year of experiencing the whole “away from home” thing – and to be honest, it has been one of the best and most rewarding things I have ever done. God has been so faithful and I will expound upon that in the near future. (And I do mean near, I promise. Probably tomorrow or the next day  ) There are certain things, “activities”, people do, whether by themselves or with friends and family, that has a special place of meaning and significance. One of the things I love to do with my family is to go to church. This sounds kind of cliché I know. But it’s the truth. I think the reason it holds a special place in my heart is because it’s one of the few things my “busy” family has the chance to do together. I treasure the moments of eating dinner at FBC Jax and I savor every delicious and delectable sip of sweet, sweet tea! I just love being around the dinner table with my mom and dad, sisters, brother-in-law, and nieces and nephew. It’s a precious time. But I also love being in my church; MY church. (I know it’s not my church and I know that the church isn’t a building but the people. However, I love sitting in the pews, sensing the welcome-ness and sweet spirit of people who love the Lord.) Tonight was my first Wednesday night back. It was wonderful! I was so encouraged by the preaching of Nehemiah 8:1-8. I have debated whether or not to simply summarize what this piece of scripture is about or to really explain it and I have decided that it is TOO GOOD to pass up, so this may be a long blog. (And if you actually read my blogs, which I’m sure is VERY few, then you should be used to it. :) The Israelites had just returned and had rebuilt the wall. (If you read it, which I encourage you to do, this will make more sense. However I am going to try to make it understandable without you having to read it.) The rebuilding of the wall was a huge victory and as soon as the Israelites were finished, (vs.1) “All the people gathered together” and asked Ezra to PREACH! We don’t do that. Since when have you been rejoicing over the victory of a football game and got so caught up in the excitement you asked someone to preach the Word!? They were begging for a blessing. They wanted to praise the Lord for their victory! It says in verses 3 that Ezra read “from daybreak until noon.” We get irritated when the pastor preaches 5 minutes passed his scheduled time… we would all probably get up and leave if he told us he was going to talk for 5 hours. Yet these people listened attentively! (vs.3) We can’t even stay alert in our OWN prayers; what a reminder these people are of true diligence. It then says in verse 5, “As he opened it, all the people stood up.” There was a respect for God’s Word. We get tired of our music minister telling us to stand up and then to sit down…then when our pastor gets up to preach, he tells us to stand up… when in reality we should be standing up out of respect before he even has to ask us. I know I have ranted way too much, but this message and passage of scripture really spoke to me. God really spoke to me. We should be excited to be in His word and His house. Are you excited to spend time with God? Are you looking forward to Sunday or dreading it? Check your heart and check His word. “It’s good to be back!”

White as Snow

This Florida girl has had a pretty interesting few weeks. Last Sunday, my friends and I eagerly anticipated the coming snow storm – of course, we drove to pizza hut to celebrate the school being closed for Monday; we didn’t expect to not have school for an entire week! Yes, no classes for 5 days…in college, at Truett-McConnell College, located in Cleveland, Ga. I will be the first one to tell you that I was ecstatic about the coming storm. My good friend Becca came into my dorm room on Saturday and told me that we had to go get the ‘essentials’ from Wally-World. I replied, “Oh yeah we better go. Wait, what are the essentials?” We did not stock up enough. Lesson # 1 – when a snow day is anticipated stock up on frozen dinners and anything you can heat up in the microwave. I set my alarm on Monday morning for 7:45. I think I would have gotten up earlier but I decided to let my friends sleep in at least a little while. I walked out of my room, turned to the right, looked outside the window, and stood there with my mouth hanging open, speechless. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The trees were covered with sparkling white snow and the ground was untouched; perfectly flat, soft as cotton. I then proceeded to run and wake my friends up, only to find them groggy and wanting to stay in bed. (Come on y’all!!!) I was met with a “You are crazy!” as well as a locked door. (Thank you Becca, Sarah, and Alicia : ) We played that entire day and then crashed that afternoon. The next few days were met with the excitement of no school and the dreadful terror of snow that had turned into ice which then led to cabin fever. And when I say cabin fever I mean CABIN FEVER. We were all just about to go crazy. However, we made the most of our time: played games, watched movies - the redbox saved our lives! Finally the week past, and as I look back I see where God taught me a LOT. I haven’t blogged in forever and I believe that that is the work of Satan. I simply haven’t ‘felt’ like writing, which is a gift God has given me, and Satan has successfully gotten me to ‘pause.’ Well listen here Satan; it’s time to PRESS play! (I don’t know why I just got off on that tangent, I promise there is a method to my madness!) Sunday finally came, thank goodness! And during the worship time of the service, the Tim Johnson band, a band from Truett, was invited to lead a few songs during worship. The leader started out talking about the snow. Oh man, this is where it gets GOOD!!! He simply said, “The best part about the snow is looking out and seeing all the white and knowing that God has taken our crimson hearts and washed them WHITE as SNOW! I was convicted, excited, hopeful, and full of joy when he spoke those words. I had thanked God for the snow, but I had forgotten to really praise His name and give Him glory for what He had done in my life. The perfect simile: He washed me white as snow. I was stained crimson with my sin; but God sent Jesus to take my place and He washed all of my ‘blood’ away and He changed me and made me WHITE as snow. I simply cannot get over that. “Thank you for the snow Lord, bring us more that I may worship you through it! Forgive me when I sin and thank You for making me clean and washing me as white as snow."

Life is tough but God is FAITHFUL

Man, what a rush. I’m a tad bit out of breath and my heart is about to beat out of my chest! No, not because I’m ‘that’ out of shape but because of the excitement and encouragement God, just moments ago, placed within my spirit. (I was all of a sudden overwhelmed with the desire to write down the thoughts and feelings God has placed in my heart. And for those of you who know me well will understand as to why I just sprinted down the hall, up the stairs to grab my Bible and computer so that I could jot down my thoughts.) I’m in the lobby of my dorm where at this very moment a group pf people are gathered watching ‘Charlie St. Cloud.’ (Great movie, by the way.) I’m seated in the back of the room, attempting to study for my Old Testament final I have Monday morning. I just finished trying to help my dear Wynn study for his math final – but as my mother so delicately put it, ‘Em, that’s like the blind leading the blind.’ It’s the thought that counts me suppose. One of the concepts I was studying on my review sheet was the prophetic actions of Jeremiah. The one particular action I was committing to memory was the Almond tree – its significance was that God would fulfill His word. This past week has been absolutely a whirlwind! God has tested my faith in His faithfulness and at times I didn’t even recognize that that’s what He was doing. My dad has been in and out of Doctors offices with an unusual back pain, finals started this week, and those everyday, nagging circumstances and problems have been hitching a ride on the ‘Emily train,’- and life is just tough. (This all ties together, I promise.) As I was trying to remember Jeremiahs prophesy of the Almond Tree and God’s faithfulness, the visual learner inside of me took a glance outside in search of a tree to associate with this certain prophetic question. As I looked at the tree outside my dorm I was thinking, “There ya’ go Em, God is faithful to fulfill His promises. Look, he takes care of the trees.” And it was at this moment that I decided to race up the stairs in search of my Bible and computer. This past week God has tested my trust in Him. It’s just been one of those weeks; nothing horrible happened but it’s just been a struggle to get through. I’ve poured out my heart to God and searched His word for verses on faith and hope. I was blessed beyond belief with the verses He brought to my attention. This is one of the reasons His word is so important and dear to my heart – it is my hope. I’m so thankful that the Lord is sure to fulfill His promises. He is always faithful whether we deserve it or not. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends and a wonderful family to love and encourage me. I’m also very thankful for the wonderful young man God has placed in my life. Wynn reminded me the other day that life is tough. But the reason we have joy and hope is because of Jesus Christ. We get in these dark spots in life and sometimes forget that the Light of the World is living inside of us. When we are overwhelmed by our struggles and by life itself, we need to remember who are hope is in – the faithful Father. Don’t be troubled by your troubles. We are not promised tomorrow so we need to live our lives in the HOPE and faithfulness of the Lord today. Love, laugh, live, cry, sing, dance, eat :] , hope, run, play, conquer, and don’t get tangled up in what could have been; take what the Lord has given you and USE it for His glory. 3 days till Christmas break! Luke 1:37, “For NOTHING will be impossible with God.”