The Works of His Hands...

"1The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

3There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

4Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun,

5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rise at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat."

-- Psalm 19:1-6

God is SO good.

The Summer of God's Lessons

Can I just tell you that this summer has been, definitely, the best summer of my entire life. After an extremely draining and challenging semester at Campbell, God reminded me that He pulled me through because I obviously couldn't do it on my own. Even when I ignored Him, He remained with me (Deuteronomy 31:6). A week after exams ended, I was still feeling numb to the world and to the Lord, I had even flown all the way to Costa Rica (represent my Tico family!) and stayed there (and in the rainforest) for a few days before the callouses began to break away. I got to see the glory of God in His beautiful creations, some things you just will NEVER see in North Carolina. Also, one day, I was sitting at my host home, doing homework, and my Tico bro, Glen, came in from school. I asked him how his day was and he said it was good and he was happy. I remember asking him why he was happy and he said "Why should I not be happy? I don't worry about the little things, and besides, I have the Lord in my heart." And then I got slapped in the face, not literally...but through him, God reminded me that nothing else matters but Him.

Coming home from the CR, I realized that two years of hurt, anger, jealousy, and depression had melted away. For a year, I had been trying to make those things go away, but no matter how hard I tried, they were too dug in for me to pull out. But without me even noticing, the Lord was strong enough, big enough, and gracious enough, to just melt them away, and for the first time in a long time, I was free and the burden was gone (Psalm 139:1, 5-6, 11-14)!

A week and a half later I was on three flights to Las Vegas, Nevada and six other states out west. I got to ride a bus with a bunch of old people...and I'll have you know that really, their bodies only grow old...but not their hearts or souls. They were such a joy to hang around with, to hear their stories.

And again, a week and a half after returning from a nine-day trip out west, I headed to the wonderful UNC-W for FCA Leadership camp. Let me tell you what...God really used that to teach me a lot. Going into the week, I knew I wasn't where I needed to be with the Lord and I could feel the spiritual battle in my heart. My sinful nature desperately just wanted to sleep in and ignore the Bible...but I could feel the long-growing hunger for the Lord and His word building every day. Leadership camp was SUCH a blessing. I got to talk to some amazing women of God, older and my age. And one really stuck out...Rebecca, a young lady that has a similar mother-daughter story to my own...and yet she loves her mother with such grace, after allowing the Lord to transform her heart and the heart of her mother. God used that to show me how selfish and disrespectful I've been to my mother just because I've been angry at her. Now, I'm trying to remain diligent in the Word and in time with God...and just asking the Lord to transform my heart everyday and fill me with His Holy Spirit, and that He would help me forgive my mom, because I know that I am to weak to do it on my own. I can't wait to see where else the Lord is going to take me.

P.S.~ This week was TOTAL confirmation that I am supposed to be a high school teacher rather than a middle school teacher, I know God has a plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11-12) and I pray my heart and mind will be soft and open to His presence and that He may use me in whatever manner possible.

In Christ,

Emily Grace

"How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them." -Psalm 139:17

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." -Psalm 139:23

Speakers for the week: John and Guy Earle. Scripture.

UCM Night of Worship Testimony

So, this evening, I gave my testimony at the United Campus Ministry's Night of Worship. God has laid this message on my heart for the past few months...it is a deep and hard lesson that God taught me through an unfortunate event...but I had to learn it.

It sorta feels like my high school career flew past me. One day I was sitting in my first freshman class, the next at my graduation. They say time flies when you’re having fun…that’s true, but it also flies when you’re REALLY busy.

I know for me, in high school, I was always extremely busy. I had homework, volleyball, clubs, and organizing FCA. A lot of times, as people, we tend to fill our plates up with so much stuff, that it’s like we become like robots. Even as Christians, we get so caught up in doing “kingdom work” that we forget to develop our relationships with Christ and with the people around us.

At the very end of my freshman year in college I had been talking to my best friend. Her sister was going through a hard time in her faith and was getting into stuff that could really hurt her. God continued to lay it on my heart to take her out to lunch or go see her just to talk and see how she was doing. I kept telling myself I would do it some other time, she’d be around on the weekends, I could come and see her then. That “some other time” never came…and one day that summer, she wasn’t there anymore. She died in a car accident three days after her 19^th birthday. I always regretted that I never talked to her. What if I had and it had changed something which could have saved her?

Not only did her death and my lack of caring leave me with grief and guilt, but through it, God reminded me that I need to remember that just because we’re young doesn’t mean we can never die. He used that moment to teach me that I need to cherish every moment that I have and to make sure that I’m always doing His will, because I would hate to die in a moment when I’m not.

"Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.”— Psalm 39: 4-5

I would prefer to use my short “breath” of life to glorify the Lord and do what He asks of me than to waste it on anything else. I challenge you to use your time for Him as well. Make sure you’re taking the time to praise God. Take the time to smile at someone, to talk to someone that’s hurting. Don’t just rush through the time God has has given us, slow down and glorify Him.

Sometimes it can be hard, but push yourself to always be growing and reaching out to those around you. God bless!!!

--Emily Grace

A Woman of God

Today, due to the fact that nothing amazingly eventful occurred and no specific, detailed revelations were given, I will stick with some simple scripture, to remind us that it is important to God and important to our honor that we value more in life then jewelry and clothes, but hard work. Our actions will not only God and ourselves, but our future-husbands and family.

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her and loacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and puple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.'

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

-- Proverbs 31:10-31

God bless you all!

Growing Pains

As of Monday, January 11, 2010, I will officially be 1/5 a century old. With that age...leaving the teens behind, have come some difficult growing pains, within my own heart and within my family. This afternoon, I headed to my fiance's new apartment to hang out with him and some of our friends from college. Well, when my dad learned where I was, he informed me that he was disappointed in me and that I was not using good judgement. At first, this made me so angry, admittedly, and apologetically, I vented my frustrations to my fiance and our friends, making my father look bad. Once I calmed down, I tried to look at why we are having these family tensions.

From my point of view, I was hanging out with friends, nothing bad happened at all. From my dad's point of view, he is not worried so much about David and I breaking our covenant to God and ourselves, but more, possibly damaging (unknowingly) our reputations as Christians in that area. He made the point of saying that to others, if they saw a car parked outside someone's apartment all day, to someone that may not know what is going on, they could assume the "norm" of this generation.

Overall, today, God has reminded me that my parents (no matter how frustrating they can be sometimes, and how sometimes they seem to be nagging), are truly a blessing. I am SO blessed to have two wonderful parents, parents that are concerned not only about my physical well-being, but emotional, mental, spiritual, etc. I am so glad to know that my parents care about me enough to want to help up-hold my spiritual reputation in an area where God is using David and I as servants and witnesses.

When I came home and did my quiet time this evening, I was so angry inside. I kept telling myself that I was the victim, that I was being walked all over by my family and being taken advantage of. God really convicted my heart to be more grateful, respectful, and obedient to my parents. No, I don't need to be a doormat to walk on an

d scrape the blue-raspberry gum off, but I do need to be obedient and respectful towards them. God gave me a harsh reminder in scripture which really saddened my heart to see how prideful I had become against my parents. In the end, no matter what age any person is (man or woman) we always need to respect our parents because they are a true gift from God!

"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth." --Proverbs 30:11-12

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother'- which is the first commandment with a promise- that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the Earth." --Ephesians 6:1-3

Starting Afresh...Lessons of 2009

I can hardly believe it's been just a few days over year since I posted last. Obviously, it's hard for me to keep up with things like this. :-)

In December of 2008, I told my boyfriend that I just knew I didn't like the number 19 and that the age of 19 wasn't going to be easy. Now, I'm not superstitious, believe me, I just had a feeling that it was going to be a hard year. Really, I don't like the number 19, though. 2009 was one of the hardest, most memorable, and most lesson-filled years of my life.

I have learned so much in the past year. The events of the year included faith struggles, ones in which I seriously doubted God, disliked the church, and greatly lost interest in what the church is supposed to be about. After some startling news in early January, I had to pick myself up again. Within the past two years I have had friends hurt me, a pastor tell me that if I had gone through the same schooling he had then I would have the same conclusions about the Bible that he had. I struggled with jealousy, anger, bitterness, grief at the loss of good friend one day and a grandparent the next. I struggled with the stress of school and organizing events. My hardest struggle has been with learning to be a Biblical woman. How to give to God what is God's and how to behave myself towards my future-husband. All of these issues, I will always deal with. They are things that Satan just desperately wants to trip up my life with. In the end, I've had to just learn to TRUST God and TRUST David. That is a word that is so easy to say but so desperately hard to live out. I hope that God will continue to teach me day in and day out.

This past summer (July, 2009) I worked at FCA Leadership Camp for NC at UNC-W. It was a God-given blessing and opportunity. I went into it struggling with hard emotions and sins. I felt that I was not worthy of being there to teach those high school students. That Wednesday morning, I was standing at the coffee machine in the cafeteria, hot, steaming coffee pouring into my little Styrofoam cup and God hit me over the head with something. For the past year-and-a-half I had felt as though I had been standing on a mountain-top and someone knocked my feet out from under me. I was falling, rolling, tumbling down the slope, trying to put my weight (faith) on the little sapling trees growing there (friends, family, "the church"). Yet, every time my weight (faith) was applied, they snapped in half and let me down. And yet I heard this voice, Jesus was saying, "Emily, stop trying to put your faith on things around you. All this time I've been coming down to save you with a repelling rope secure at the top. Stop looking to others for how you should live...just look to me. Grab my hand." That's when I realized I had to stop trying to figure out "how" to be a Christian based on what others told me, but rather, what Christ tells me in His word.

This year, 2010, I want it to be a year in which I learn a lot from God. I look back on all the hardships of 2009, but I don't regret a single one of them. Yes, I do wish Brittney and Papa were still alive, and I wish some friends had made better choices...and I CERTAINLY wish I had made better choices...but even still, God used every moment of that year to glorify Himself, teach me, and others how to grow closer to Him. This year, it is my resolution to try to become more patient, and try to learn how to truly begin to be a woman seeking after God's heart...not my own. God bless!

P.S.~ Just a little update- I am no longer anyone's girlfriend...I'm David's FIANCÉE!!! :-)

He's a wonderful man, and I'm learning to see that more and more each day. I hope I can also continue to learn to respect and revere him as I should.

P.S.S~ I've started listening to the Daily Audio Bible podcast on my iPod. For all of you audible learners out there...it's definitely helpful.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." --Micah 6:8