Giving to Guatemala

You can read all about my preparations, my thoughts, my prayers, and my trip to Guatemala here

An Answer to an Unasked Prayer

For the past few weeks I have had my heart and eyes set on a trip. A trip that I never thought possible, and never thought would come my way. My finances were making this trip unattainable to me and since I knew this, I didn't really think anything else about it.

How amazing is my God? Pretty amazing if you ask me. Of course, I already knew this...He just sees it fit to show me again every now and then :)

My wonderful church is going on a mission trip in little less than 6 weeks. God answered my prayer, even if it was unspoken. I had no means of paying for the trip, but He made a way and saw fit for me to go. And I'm ecstatic! I can't wait to dive in to the Lord's work even deeper than I already am. I'm humbled that someone saw fit to send me on this trip. Humbled that God chose me.

Please pray for me during the next few weeks. Pray that the Lord prepares my heart and mind, emotionally and spiritually. Pray for the people in Guatemala, that they be receiving of His word. I'm so excited to share Him with those that don't know how awesome my God is.

I'm in the process of setting up another blog as a journal for my trip and as soon as I have it set up I'll post the link.

Thirty-One Gifts

Here's the exciting news you've all been waiting for :)

I'm now a Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts! If you have never heard of Thirty-One Gifts, I want to encourage you to check out the amazing products they have and they are at great prices! And please, if you would like to order something, want to host a party in your home or online, or want more information, please let me know! Click {here} to go directly to my website!

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Happy Shopping!

For Such a Time Is This

This weekend I was given the opportunity to attend "The Esther Experience" with over 600 other women. All I can say is WOW. I don't think I have ever felt the presence of God surrounding me more than I have this weekend. To know that I am called to be free from all the hurt, all the pain, all the sin of my past is overwhelming to me. I am undeserving of His love. Undeserving of the freedom He has given me. And yet, I'm free. Free to live a life of love, peace, and to be filled with God's unending blessings.
I have been struggling with some things the past few weeks and for the first time since they came about, I feel free. I don't have to carry the burden of them anymore. I never had to carry them in the first place. As a child of God, I have the freedom to lay my burdens at the foot of the cross and to be free from the weight of them.
This weekend was an experience for me. I was moved in ways I've never been moved before. My heart has been burdened with desires I've never had before. I'm excited what God is doing in my life. I'm excited for the things that are in store for me. But most of all, I'm free and ready... For Such a Time Is This.

Easter 2009

Easter was filled with a wonderful time spent in precious Greenbrier with my even more precious family. As always, it didn't last long enough for me. Davy was so sweet hunting Easter eggs this year. He's such a doll. I know I talk about it all the time, but I absolutely love loving on this precious baby. He's such a blessing to our family and will never truly know how much he is loved. And it's only by God's choosing that he is a part of our family.

Keep an Eye Out...

...because I have some exciting news to share in the next few days!

Where has the time gone??

It's been weeks since I last posted. I've been SO busy! Life has been a whirlwind of things and I'm finally getting back in the old groove and settled into my never-ending-oh-so-busy life! God has truly blessed me with such awesome family, friends, and an even more awesome life!

Samantha and I are pretty much settled into our new apartment...and it looks amazing, if I do say so myself :) Hopefully I'll have some pictures posted in the next few days so you can see for yourself.

Church is great. Pastor Scott has had some really awesome messages the last few weeks. You can listen to them here. Northstar has really been a blessing to me. The people there are amazing and have such hearts for the Lord. I really feel like I'm at home when I'm at Northstar. I'm being used in the Children's Ministry on a weekly basis and am honored to have such a sacred job within the church. Those kids are the future of God's kingdom and I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives. To hear and see their love for Jesus is amazing. If you live in the Knoxville area and are looking for a church home I want to encourage you to seek Jesus in your journey and visit us at Northstar. We would love to see you!

Please be in prayer for the Smith family as yesterday was the year anniversary of the death of their sweet girl, Audrey. Also, be in prayer for Baby Stellan. A surgery may be in his near future, however God is a performer of miracles and anything can happen between now and tomorrow. Pray for rest for MckMama and her family, pray for Stellan's doctors, and pray for Stellan.

As for me, I'm great. I'm planning a trip to my hometown for this weekend and can't wait to have easter egg hunts with the baby, home cooked meals, and family time. School is going great and I'm really loving my decision to be a hairstylist. I love it! Paisley is great as well and is excited about showing off her new Easter dress this weekend!

Quick updates

I know I have seemingly disappeared from the Blog world, and I have, but not intentionally. Life has just been a whirlwind of events for me and I'm trying to get caught up. I do have some great blog posts that have been swirling in my head, and as soon as I have internet on a regular basis, believe me, they will all come flying out!

• Samantha and I are moving in less than two weeks. We've been packing like crazy and cleaning things out. I'll be glad to be in our new place and settled! All the clutter and mess of packing is getting on my nerves!
• School is going great! I love it! I'm excited to be working on as many as two to three clients a day and I'm learning so much!
• God has really been doing such a work in my life. I'm doing new things and He has placed new callings on my heart. Some of these things will be revealed in a later post!
• Life is still not the same without Steven. I miss him so much. Tomorrow is his birthday. We're planting a tree in front of Chili's in his memory. I wish he was here. He's not supposed to be gone :(
• I'm making a quick trip to Greenbrier on Sunday to see the family and have a little roadtrip with Samantha. It should be fun. And it will be even more fun since hopefully little Mary will make her way into the world either tonight or tomorrow night :) Pray for Celeste that her delivery go fast and smoothly!
  

And I think that is about it. Since I'm not home much and when I'm home I'm packing, I went ahead and cut the cable and internet off at my house so I'm having to rely on time at Panera to update things. But don't worry! I'll be back full swing as soon as I'm settled into my new house!

Losing A Friend

Friday night I received some of the worst news of my life so far. One of my greatest friends, Steven, or Thor as he was better known by us, died at age 27 of a heart attack. A heart attack. At 27 years old. This is crazy to me. I know that God is in control and is the holder of our lives. But Thor was such a good friend and such a good person. And so young. He had his whole life ahead of him. We worked together at Chili's so I spent a lot of time with him. Especially when we closed together. If we weren't busy we would always sit at table 71 and split dinner and talk about life. We shared our dreams with each other. I knew everything he wanted to do and have in life and he was on his way to getting it all. I never thought that when I saw him on Thursday that it would be the last time. I never thought that I was leaving work Thursday night and he said, "Emmy, ya work tomorrow night? Good, see ya then. Love ya too!" would be the last time I would ever hear those words. I can't sleep because I know sleep will bring another morning that I have to wake up and remember that he's gone. Work and life will not ever be the same without him. I still can't grasp that he's gone. I'm still waiting to get a text saying, "Guys I got ya'll good." But that text will never come. And in the next few days ahead, we will say goodbye to our friend and be left with only the memories that he left on our hearts.

Thor, I miss you so much man. You were always there when anyone needed you. We had so much fun together. I will never forget the fun and goofy times we had together. Just Thursday night we were laughing until our sides hurt over all kinds of things. Have fun up there in Heaven. And I'll see you again when my time comes. I know you're watching down on us and trying to get us to stop crying. You would want us to laugh. But it's hard because it hurts. It hurts knowing that I won't see you at work tomorrow. We won't share 71 together anymore. And you won't talk me into doing some of your closing work anymore. I miss you Thor. And I love ya.

Fresh and New

"It's such comfort to drop the tangles of life in God's hands and leave them there"
Tonight I went before God and gave it all to Him. My struggles, my desires, my purpose, my life. I asked for a new, deeper faith than I had before. I want to be used, really used, by Him. I want my life to shine of all He has done for me. I share this, because I struggle. We all struggle. As a Christian, I fail, I slip, and I get brought down. But God is there to forgive, to hold, and to help me back up. And I'm so thankful. Thankful He has never left me. I've made some mistakes along my way to the here and now, but God has freed me from them. And never again do I have to carry the weight of them. They are swept away like the wind, gone and forgotten.

I'm reading "Experience a Fresh Explosion of Faith: A Taste of Believing God" by Beth Moore. It's amazing. In the introduction she lists the 5-Step Pledge of Faith. I love how easy it's laid out. 5 simple things to remember daily.

I'm having faith that things in my life will be provided for and taken care of. Not by me but by Him. The struggles I have are known by Him and it's in God alone will I get by. I have a Father in Heaven that loves me, teaches me daily, and provides even when I entertain thoughts that it's never going to happen. All because He loves me. He works miracles everyday and because I'm a child of Him, I am a receiver of miracles and blessings daily.

Beth Moore pointed out three things that really stood out to me:
The God I serve is able. -Daniel 3:17
Everything is possible.-Mark 9:23
Nothing is impossible.-Luke 1:37

I was freed of some things tonight that I have struggled with recently. They are gone and forgotten. And the weight of their hurt has been lifted. The faith alone I have in my God is what allows me to be free. And you, too, can be free. All you have to do, is ask.

5-Step Pledge of Faith:
1.God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Him.
5. God's word is alive and active through me.

So far I've read through 1-3. I'm going to finish 4 and 5 tomorrow. So be looking for my thoughts on those tomorrow evening.