Tonight at 9pm we are gathering together as one family and celebrating a tradition we normally celebrate in November but this weekend it is the traditional holiday in Canada. So to bring home to America for a couple of our brothers we are having a thanksgiving feast! I'm really looking forward to it! It's going to be a lot of fun! (and not to worry I'm wearing my stretchy pants)
I took the day to myself today and ya know I really enjoyed it. It gave me sometime to do homework and just to have a day of peace. I did miss going to church this morning but I absolutely loved sitting out underneath a tree and marveling at God's wonderful creation. It is a gorgeous day today!
So I started a new book talking about grace and it has really got me thinking...when we become new Christians we understand grace as the most incredible gift ever...and as we grow we tend to forget that incredible gift and start doing things on our own..."earning" our own salvation. and it just really made me think and reevaluate my life and the way i live.
do i fully rely on God for EVERYTHING or am I trying to do it on my own?
i heard a song the other day and it just really spoke what I was feeling into words out loud...
You dwell in the songs that we are singing
Rising to the Heavens, rising to Your heart, Your heart
Our praises filling up the spaces
In between and frailty and everything You are
You are the keeper of my heart
And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
Oh God, I wanna rest in You
Oh, speak now for my soul is listening
Say that You have saved me, whisper in the dark
'Cause I know You're more than my salvation
Without You I am hopeless, tell me who You are
You are the keeper of my heart
You are the keeper of my heart
And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
I wanna rest in You
Still my heart hold me close
Let me hear a still small voice
Let it grow, let it rise
Into a shout, into a cry
Still my heart hold me close
Let me hear a still small voice
Let it grow, let it rise
Into a shout, into a cry
And I'm restless, I'm restless
'Til I rest in You, let me rest in You
I'm restless, so restless
'Til I rest in You, 'til I rest in You
Oh God, I will rest in You
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
while i'm waiting...
well since I've been home I've lived in the fast lane...and the slow lane. I've been to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. I've had good days and I've had bad days. I've had days where I am so glad to be back home with my family and friends...and I've had days where I want nothing more to be back in Africa! But one thing has reminded true everyday...GOD IS FAITHFUL!
He hasn't been proven wrong in thousands of years and he certainly hasn't been proven wrong in the 4 weeks I've been home!
It says in the bible "call on my name and I will be there!"
He calls us to live every day for Him! To live it out loudly and boldly! Acts 20:24 says: "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
My life means nothing to me unless I am living it fully for Jesus! I've come to realize those bad days are worse than need be because I am not turning to Jesus first. I am turning people for comfort. Not Jesus. He taught me all summer long that my comfort was solely found in him. So why am i not remembering that now that i'm back home? Well to be honest, I don't know. but i'm realizing that life doesn't work with out him! i need him for the little things, and the big things! He taught me all summer about the peace and comfort that all comes from him. it is now my duty as a Christian to follow through with that and learn to follow him EVERY DAY!
One of things that i struggle with in trusting him completely is my future. What is in store for it...and who is in it. I struggle all the time with wanting to rush ahead of time and find the man I'm supposed to love, and be loved by. But everyday some how God reminds me it's all in His timing..no matter how much i want to rush it, its going to come according to God's plan and time...NOT MINE! And thats hard, really hard. But I am slowly learning and relearning and learning it again to turst him every day with this...and knowing that one day God is going to give me a man I love with all my heart and he loves me with his whole heart but loves Jesus more. It may take a few more times of learning this...but I'm trying!
Are you following him every day? with EVERYTHING? It's a lot easier said then done...and then you might even think you are...but my challenge to you as i do it my self...is reevaluate your self and your walk with the Lord...are you trusting him with EVERYTHING?...EVERYDAY?
He hasn't been proven wrong in thousands of years and he certainly hasn't been proven wrong in the 4 weeks I've been home!
It says in the bible "call on my name and I will be there!"
He calls us to live every day for Him! To live it out loudly and boldly! Acts 20:24 says: "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
My life means nothing to me unless I am living it fully for Jesus! I've come to realize those bad days are worse than need be because I am not turning to Jesus first. I am turning people for comfort. Not Jesus. He taught me all summer long that my comfort was solely found in him. So why am i not remembering that now that i'm back home? Well to be honest, I don't know. but i'm realizing that life doesn't work with out him! i need him for the little things, and the big things! He taught me all summer about the peace and comfort that all comes from him. it is now my duty as a Christian to follow through with that and learn to follow him EVERY DAY!
One of things that i struggle with in trusting him completely is my future. What is in store for it...and who is in it. I struggle all the time with wanting to rush ahead of time and find the man I'm supposed to love, and be loved by. But everyday some how God reminds me it's all in His timing..no matter how much i want to rush it, its going to come according to God's plan and time...NOT MINE! And thats hard, really hard. But I am slowly learning and relearning and learning it again to turst him every day with this...and knowing that one day God is going to give me a man I love with all my heart and he loves me with his whole heart but loves Jesus more. It may take a few more times of learning this...but I'm trying!
Are you following him every day? with EVERYTHING? It's a lot easier said then done...and then you might even think you are...but my challenge to you as i do it my self...is reevaluate your self and your walk with the Lord...are you trusting him with EVERYTHING?...EVERYDAY?
Monday, July 26, 2010
life's to short...
today I lost a dear sister, cousin, and friend.
today I was reminded how important a simple phone call is, a knock on the door, a text...just to say you love them.
have you taken the time today to tell the ones you love, how special and important they are to you?
well if you haven't then stop reading this and go do it. yes, i do mean now.
Jesus is our ultimate comforter! He has a reason for bringing Robin home today, and so all His glory must be shown! While we just don't understand, but at the same time...understanding is just out of the question. For if we knew the answer, I truly believe, we couldn't handle it. God has this perfect plan of glory...and Robin was a part of it today.
Robin was 44, it's just to young. But any life taken is just to young. But knowing and trusting she is up in heaven having a grand old time with her mom and dad and all the people that have gone before her...knowing that, helps. it doesn't cover all and make everyone happy or pain free...but it helps.
Pain will come and go...some days will be easier than others. but as for today the wound is fresh, and deep.
So i leave you with this...instead of filling the wound with the generic stuff from the world...fill it with Jesus...the SUPER GLUE!
today I was reminded how important a simple phone call is, a knock on the door, a text...just to say you love them.
have you taken the time today to tell the ones you love, how special and important they are to you?
well if you haven't then stop reading this and go do it. yes, i do mean now.
Jesus is our ultimate comforter! He has a reason for bringing Robin home today, and so all His glory must be shown! While we just don't understand, but at the same time...understanding is just out of the question. For if we knew the answer, I truly believe, we couldn't handle it. God has this perfect plan of glory...and Robin was a part of it today.
Robin was 44, it's just to young. But any life taken is just to young. But knowing and trusting she is up in heaven having a grand old time with her mom and dad and all the people that have gone before her...knowing that, helps. it doesn't cover all and make everyone happy or pain free...but it helps.
Pain will come and go...some days will be easier than others. but as for today the wound is fresh, and deep.
So i leave you with this...instead of filling the wound with the generic stuff from the world...fill it with Jesus...the SUPER GLUE!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
the rush of a life time
is running up the escalator to see your family with balloons and a welcome home sign all wearing pink just anxiously awaiting you to come up; a lady saying "NO RUNNING", but don't worry you don;t stop and listen to her...you keep running ...running straight into their arms, tears running down your face and never wanting to let go!
I'm home! let me say that again...I'M HOME! what a great feeling that is! I got to spend a few days with just my mom and dad and grandparents and my best friend in Tennessee and just catching up with them was wonderful. I've missed so much! The time with them was needed! But now I'm home! And I love it! I get to go to church in the morning...I am soooo excited! I have missed my church so much! My dad is preaching and my whole family (or what it seems like) is coming along with Meagan - all to hear him preach!
I haven't heard him preach since we were at Shiloh...I am very excited to hear him! I think he is a great preacher! Yeah, I might be a little biased but i don't care!
I am going to continue to post blogs about the things I learned and saw...but i do want to say this...anyone who has questions or just wants to know about it, please just ask! i will be happy to tell you all you want to know about it!
The Lord rocked Africa! There is so much to tell! ...and I want to share it with you!
I'm home! let me say that again...I'M HOME! what a great feeling that is! I got to spend a few days with just my mom and dad and grandparents and my best friend in Tennessee and just catching up with them was wonderful. I've missed so much! The time with them was needed! But now I'm home! And I love it! I get to go to church in the morning...I am soooo excited! I have missed my church so much! My dad is preaching and my whole family (or what it seems like) is coming along with Meagan - all to hear him preach!
I haven't heard him preach since we were at Shiloh...I am very excited to hear him! I think he is a great preacher! Yeah, I might be a little biased but i don't care!
I am going to continue to post blogs about the things I learned and saw...but i do want to say this...anyone who has questions or just wants to know about it, please just ask! i will be happy to tell you all you want to know about it!
The Lord rocked Africa! There is so much to tell! ...and I want to share it with you!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I am very much looking forward to coming home but very sad I am leaving the amazing work that is happening here in cote d' ivoire!
Please pray for safe travel...we are all very excited to see paris for a day and a half!
Talk to when I'm back in the states!
Em
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
time is running out...
Acts 20:24
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good news about the wonderful grace of God.”
So lets recap…I arrived in Abidjan 5 weeks ago yesterday and since then I have experienced new foods, new housing, new friends, a new culture, a new language, and definitely a new intimacy with the Lord. I have walked with students as they first hear about the wonderful love of Jesus, and watch them accept Him into their hearts. I’ve seen other students grow in their faith, as they renew their faith. I’ve seen old faiths freshened by just once again realizing God’s unfailing love and grace.
When people say you must preach the gospel to yourself on a daily basis…. it is totally true! Talking people through the gospel on a daily basis has brought a renewed freshness to my faith! It just blows my mind Jesus died on the cross…for me! FOR ME! ( and you, don’t you worry! ;) )
I got the privilege of celebrating my 21st birthday while being here. And if you have been apart of past birthday celebrations please don’t take offense to this…but this was by far the BEST birthday ever! I got the honor of going and sharing the gospel and having fellowship with the amazing people that are on this trip with me. It was just an awesome day! I got emails after emails and facebook notifications after notifications with birthday wishes that made me feel more loved than one could ever dream. I felt so blessed, and still do!
There are so many different things that I’ve seen and smelled here that I have been trying to figure out how to describe them to people back home…but I can’t! The sights are so different than what I have ever imagined. There is the very high, nicest of things and buildings, and then the very low, run down buildings and sights. I’ve smelled things that one person should never smell or really expect to smell. And then there are some smells that remind me of home…like the beach. I’ve been to the beach here and it is beautiful. It is very different than back home on the east or west coast but it’s the beach and it’s beautiful nonetheless.
Two weekends ago we went to Yamoussoukro the capital of Cote d’ Ivoire; to my surprise much smaller and not as nice as Abidjan. We saw where the president lives, the university there, a mini market, and we got to go swimming. We also got to go see the largest basilica in the world. It’s hard to describe how small you feel next to something so massive and so beautiful (don’t worry, I have pictures!) We stayed in a hostile, which was actually really fun and clean!
Well we may not have been in America for Fourth of July but we didn’t need to be! We had our very own party right here in Africa! We invited a bunch of our new friends from the university over and some staff from Crusade and had ourselves a BBQ! While they didn’t necessarily taste the EXACT same, it was very good! We had cheeseburgers, hot dogs, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies…served with lemonade! We couldn’t find fireworks…. not shocking, lol but we found a nice substitution of confetti bombs which where a huge hit! We all thoroughly enjoyed the party, and we think the Ivoirians did too!
Now the countdown begins…two weeks from today we will all be home….if we were all truly honest we would probably say we are getting pretty excited and maybe some a little anxious! We do love it here! And we love being with each other and sharing the gospel! But we do miss our families and friends and can’t wait to tell them all about the marvelous things the Lord is doing here in Cote d’ Ivorie and in our own lives!
We will spend the next two weeks on campus preparing the students for when we leave to continue on with cru and how to get involved! This Friday we are going to an orphanage, which I can’t wait for! I am so excited, but I also realize leaving the kids will be harder than I will probably ever be able to imagine.
Our team statement…
One Calling. One Answer.
One Gospel, 1 GOD.
One Summer. 21 Servants.
Cote D’ Ivorie 2010
See you soon!
With all my love, Emiley
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good news about the wonderful grace of God.”
So lets recap…I arrived in Abidjan 5 weeks ago yesterday and since then I have experienced new foods, new housing, new friends, a new culture, a new language, and definitely a new intimacy with the Lord. I have walked with students as they first hear about the wonderful love of Jesus, and watch them accept Him into their hearts. I’ve seen other students grow in their faith, as they renew their faith. I’ve seen old faiths freshened by just once again realizing God’s unfailing love and grace.
When people say you must preach the gospel to yourself on a daily basis…. it is totally true! Talking people through the gospel on a daily basis has brought a renewed freshness to my faith! It just blows my mind Jesus died on the cross…for me! FOR ME! ( and you, don’t you worry! ;) )
I got the privilege of celebrating my 21st birthday while being here. And if you have been apart of past birthday celebrations please don’t take offense to this…but this was by far the BEST birthday ever! I got the honor of going and sharing the gospel and having fellowship with the amazing people that are on this trip with me. It was just an awesome day! I got emails after emails and facebook notifications after notifications with birthday wishes that made me feel more loved than one could ever dream. I felt so blessed, and still do!
There are so many different things that I’ve seen and smelled here that I have been trying to figure out how to describe them to people back home…but I can’t! The sights are so different than what I have ever imagined. There is the very high, nicest of things and buildings, and then the very low, run down buildings and sights. I’ve smelled things that one person should never smell or really expect to smell. And then there are some smells that remind me of home…like the beach. I’ve been to the beach here and it is beautiful. It is very different than back home on the east or west coast but it’s the beach and it’s beautiful nonetheless.
Two weekends ago we went to Yamoussoukro the capital of Cote d’ Ivoire; to my surprise much smaller and not as nice as Abidjan. We saw where the president lives, the university there, a mini market, and we got to go swimming. We also got to go see the largest basilica in the world. It’s hard to describe how small you feel next to something so massive and so beautiful (don’t worry, I have pictures!) We stayed in a hostile, which was actually really fun and clean!
Well we may not have been in America for Fourth of July but we didn’t need to be! We had our very own party right here in Africa! We invited a bunch of our new friends from the university over and some staff from Crusade and had ourselves a BBQ! While they didn’t necessarily taste the EXACT same, it was very good! We had cheeseburgers, hot dogs, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies…served with lemonade! We couldn’t find fireworks…. not shocking, lol but we found a nice substitution of confetti bombs which where a huge hit! We all thoroughly enjoyed the party, and we think the Ivoirians did too!
Now the countdown begins…two weeks from today we will all be home….if we were all truly honest we would probably say we are getting pretty excited and maybe some a little anxious! We do love it here! And we love being with each other and sharing the gospel! But we do miss our families and friends and can’t wait to tell them all about the marvelous things the Lord is doing here in Cote d’ Ivorie and in our own lives!
We will spend the next two weeks on campus preparing the students for when we leave to continue on with cru and how to get involved! This Friday we are going to an orphanage, which I can’t wait for! I am so excited, but I also realize leaving the kids will be harder than I will probably ever be able to imagine.
Our team statement…
One Calling. One Answer.
One Gospel, 1 GOD.
One Summer. 21 Servants.
Cote D’ Ivorie 2010
See you soon!
With all my love, Emiley
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
one love, africa love
i have to say how sorry i am i haven't written more! our internet is off and on and thats just on top of this crazy life here in africa! the trip has been absolutely amazing! its been 3 weeks and what an amazing 3 weeks it has been! i celebrated my 21st birthday here and let me tell you it was the best birthday ever! to see the hearts of students lives being changed for Christ makes everything worth it! the Lord is up to something great! but please please please dont stop praying! there are tons of spiritual warfare going on in all of us and at the same time the enemy is trying to stop us physically too! the health and safety of our team is of top priority! i will try to write more but please know i love you all and miss you tons and tons! 3 weeks from today ill be home!!!! :) i miss you all, more than you know! but please trust me when i say i am doing great! the Lord is really showing himself to me and im learning so much! see you soon! love to all! em
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