Friday, December 11, 2009

MOXY?

Hi Ladies,

It's been a while! I hope you are all well! I wanted to share this website with you. It is the blog site of a woman who works at Westmont, and I think she has some unique and insightful ways of expressing how to live your life as the person you were created to be.

http://themoxyprojectblog.com/

I hope you enjoy it.

Grace and Peace,

Emily

P.S. Over Thanksgiving I got engaged!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Colossians 3:12

This quote has really hit home lately for me. Our pastor said it a couple weeks ago while talking about Compassion in the context of Colossians 3.

"Compassion without action is pity"

uh! so good.


oh, and one of my favorite books that really goes along with this train of thinking is "Under the Overpass". i highly recommend it!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Is hope really worth it?

During the past two weeks I have had such tunnel vision - focusing solely on my school work and my relationship with Adam. I find that when I emerge from periods of such business and intensity in my life, I have a lot of processing to do! (Does this happen to anyone else?) I think a lot of this happens because I am an introvert, but I think that I also don't allow myself to process my life as it is happening because I tell myself I can't afford to spend the time or energy on "that" until later. It inevitably catches up with me. :)

Today at church God really spoke to me. I have realized I have some deep feelings of hopelessness and lack of perspective right now. As you know, Adam is hoping to move out to Colorado some time in the next few months, but he can't do so until he has a job. He has had several good conversations with people regarding job possibilities, but it seems like nothing practical has come of any of the work he has done. I think that on Friday, as I was finally able to start winding down from the past two weeks, I realized that this lack of progress, so to speak, is really wearing on me. In a conversation with my mom I said "Why should I hope for anything, because what if it doesn't happen?" I've really been wondering the last two days if it is worth it to keep hoping. The more I think about it, the less I want to go on without Adam in my daily life. He is one of my closest companions and I really am looking forward to a life with him. Anyway, I digress, but this weight is something I came to church carrying this morning.

I have found that when I come to worship with expectations, God does not always choose to speak to me right away, but today He totally reminded me about my hope in HIM. Apart from what Adam does to pursue job leads in Colorado, independent of when he can move here, and regardless of anything else that could happen in my life - my hope is in Jesus Christ, and my purpose is in Him. I was brought to tears by this realization this morning - such a gentle, compassionate message from a God who loves me infinitely and who will never leave me.

Please pray for me! Whatever the Spirit lays on your heart about Adam, me, our relationship, and job possibilities for Adam. Thank you in advance for praying with all the saints on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Friday, October 9, 2009

grace upon grace = grace squared?

I listened to a sermon online last Sunday and one phrase, from a passage in John 1:16 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:16&version=NASB, really stood out to me. It mentions that we receive grace upon grace from God. All week, this has been my mantra, my breath prayer. As I prayed this and thought about this concept, I began to be convicted by how easy it is for me to ask for God's grace, and how difficult it is for me to dispense it. I also realized that in order to dispense grace I require even more! It seems like a compound grace effect where I am always needing more. I am so humbled by my lack of grace, because even though I withold it, God never does.

Another random note: I wanted to share this website with you all. Specifically, the essay in the link below really spoke to me about "trying to do everything" as a woman. What part's of you does this speak to? http://burnsidewriters.com/2009/09/23/she/

Thursday, September 17, 2009

perspectives on death and heaven

So, we just moved to Denver and that was a little scary to consider because it took us so long to feel at home in Colorado Springs when we both moved there. But, I realized this morning that I'm already feeling at home here, mainly because we found a church that we both feel at home at and are excited to check out more and get to know more.

This past weekend, the sermon was on being "holistic" and mainly focused on perspectives of heaven. While I'm not an expert on the topic, there were a few main points that were just so good from the sermon. He focused a lot on how death is bad. One of the main comments the pastor made was that God's original plan was for us to live in perfect unity with him; death was not in the plan. Death was against what God started. I had never thought about death this way before hearing this. And so, essentially, his focus (and how he tied it back to being holistic) is that God is in the business of redemption today and is restoring our world even today. The Bible does not reveal a lot about what heaven is like, but it does teach us how to love God and love others. Our focus should not be fixated on just the someday of heaven and in getting there, but in living now in our present lives. And so, the question becomes "how is God rebuilding, renewing, and restoring this world in the midst of the present evil?"

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Authenticy in our Lives

I appreciate Valerie's words on freedom as breaking free from my bondage is something I have been dealing with lately. As I start my 2nd year teaching in Ecuador, God has really spoken to me about the idols in my life that are distracting me from pursuing a deeper relationship with Him. My eyes have been opened through Beth Moore's study "Breaking Free." Yesterday I just rid myself of an idol that has been keeping me in chains for 6 years. But I know that the decision to do this is just the beginning. God will be putting me through a process of rebuilding that I am honesty scared of right now. Galatians 5:1 says its possible to return to something that held us in bondage even after we have been set free. But dear fret not of that creeping bondage.

However, just now, I have been given some encouragement of why I need to go through with this. Beth Moore talks about generational sin and the effect that our sin can have on our generations to come. Now this is kind of hard to imagine seeing as how I don't have any children and can't see it happening for many years. But this doesn't mean that what I do with my life doesn't affect other people. We have the power to have a positive influence on anyone's life, especially for me now starting a new school year with 15 10- year- olds all day. I think of the kind of role model I want to be for them. Do I want to pass on my low self esteem, past idols that haunt me, or teach them how to reach wholeness and a secure identity in Christ?

But wait! First, where am I going to find that, how can I become that person? Exodus 20 says that when we sin God will curse us to the 3rd or 4th generations. However, when we do obey God, He will bless thousands of our generations. I have never been good at math, but I know 1000 is a better number than 3 or 4 (in this situation). I must show God I love Him by obeying Him and following His commandments. And I trust that when I do this, He will show His love and mercy on me. So now I must think, "I am free from my bondage. Can I help someone else break free from theirs? If I do my part for one generation then He will do His part for thousands." And we all must think, "Are we allowing the next generation, or the people around us, too see this authenticity in our lives?"

PS I feel this is a jumbled mess. But that's how my head has been the past few weeks. I'm looking forward to having a new venue to sort this out.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009


Thought I would share...

I've been reminded a lot lately about the freedom in Christ we have. But lately, it's been from the perspective of the freedom to let things go and trust God. He is the only one who truly understands me, but that also means he is the only one who understands other people as well. He is the only one who truly knows where their heart is at, or where they are in their faith. And in that it is freeing. I can stop trying to worry or try to change another person. Instead I can turn to Christ.


"I must leave him his freedom to be Christ's ...Spiritual love recognizes thhe true image of the other person which he has received from Jesus Christ: the image that Jesus Christ embodied and would stamp on all men." -Bonhoeffer, "Life Together"



"We cannot encourage, teach, urge, (...) we are powerless to force spiritual understanding on another person" - Beth Moore, "Daniel"

I'm Emily and I'd like to talk about being naked with God.


My hope for this blog is that it can a be place for us to come to request prayer, share writings, upload pictures of our art, share about books - any creative or practical ways that God has been speaking in, to, and through us! I'm really looking forward to seeing what God does through this little "community", if you will.

One scripture that stood out to me as I was thinking about this blog was Hebrews 4:13. It talks about how everything in our lives "... is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him...", the "him" being God. For some reason this verse made me think of being naked in front of someone -vulnerability, trust and knowing. That's how I want God to know me, and that's how I pray that you let him know you as well! It's a little risque, I know, but kind of exciting! I hope this blog can be a part of that process of knowing Him and being known for who you truly are.

Thanks for joining Valerie and me in this spiritual journey. We welcome your thoughts, posts and questions!

Emily

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I feel like I've been blessed with great friendships over the years. Truly. I've found myself wishing I could still share in fellowship even though I now live far from many of them. This is something that's been on my mind for a few years now.

So, Emily and I had the amazing chance to be a part of a Bible study in Colorado Springs where we got to become good friends. However, this summer we both were moving away from that town and the Bible study. Emily and I were talking one day about ideas of ways to stay connected even though we were both moving to new towns and the idea of the blog formed!

Essentially, this is just intended to be a place to share what God is doing and teaching you in your life. As my old camp director always asked..."Is there anything bubbling out?" If you have something you are just so excited to share that is bubbling out of you, share it here.

thanks!
-valerie