the love story {of Psalm 105}

Today I was reading Psalm 105. Which is, by the way, a beautiful story, and a great reminder, and I think you should go read it right now. Don't worry, I'll still be here when you get back. :) 

I love the beautiful reminder in vs. 3-4 that when we seek the LORD, we will always find a reason to rejoice.

But as I kept reading, I kept seeing all the reminders to remember all His wonderful acts, and His wonderful faithfulness, and to tell all the nations about what the LORD has done. And it goes on to tell the story of God's chosen people, from His covenant with Abraham;

"He remembers his covenant forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
⁹ the covenant he made with Abraham,
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
¹⁰ He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
¹¹ “To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as the portion you will inherit.” "   

 to when He led them to the promised land;

  ⁴³ He brought out his people with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
⁴⁴ he gave them the lands of the nations,
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
⁴⁵ that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws. Praise the Lord.

Throughout the Psalm, it tells the beautiful story of God working, a large portion of the first part of the Bible condensed. 

But it got me to thinking. Looking back at it all, there is none who can deny that it is a powerful story which shows the faithfulness of the LORD. But what about in that time? We know there was a lot of heartache, a lot of discouragement that was felt every step along the way there. 

 They wandered around from nation to nation, they were strangers in all lands. How discouraging must that have been?! But we can clearly see that He protected them the whole time. He prepared for them the land in Egypt, where they were to live for many years. 

When Joseph was sold by His brothers, and all that happened to Him in Egypt, including being sent to jail for something he didn't do, it would be easy to say that it was all wrong. But one of my favourite verses is from Genesis 50, when Joseph is talking to his brothers, and he says: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Think of all the hurt. But God used it to save many, many people from the famine, and to bring His chosen people to high positions in Egypt. 

But then they became slaves in Egypt; we'd say the story's gone wrong. The Israelites must have felt abandoned by God, they must have wondered if they were ever going to be free, going to get to the promised land. But looking back now, we know He was working all things together for them.

And He sent Moses and Aaron to lead the people. Through them He did many signs and wonders. He sent the ten plagues. And through that, the people left Egypt laden with silver and gold. 

And then they wandered around in the desert. We know the Israelites had a lot of problems during that time. Think golden calf, think lots of complaining. But honestly, if I were in that situation, I really couldn't say if I would've been much better. 

He provided well for them in the desert;

⁴⁰ They asked, and he brought them quail;
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.
⁴¹ He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert. 

And still, they were discouraged, and they complained!! But we know that God was faithful to them.

If we can look at that story of God and the Israelites, and see that despite of, or even through, the discouragement of the people, God worked a miraculous story of love, then we should not doubt that He is doing the same to us even when we are in the middle of days of discouragement. 

He worked all of the story of Joseph for good - maybe, somewhere in your life, someone intended something to harm you. But God is working through that, redeeming it, using it to bring good. He led them through the desert, He fed them manna and gave them water from a rock (hello?!! food from the sky?! water from a rock?! does that not blow your mind??!), God is giving you great and amazing gifts all the time. Will you choose to complain anyways (like the Israelites did, they got tired of manna pretty quick), or will you choose to let the miracle blow your mind and be thankful to the LORD for leading you and providing for you. 

So today, whatever discouragement you are walking through, remember: in the middle of the story told in Psalm 105, it looked like a lotta heartache. But when you look at the whole story, it's beautiful. The same is true for yours. 

Blessings,
love Emma  

  

31 Days :: {25} :: celebrating when it's hard

Hey there friends! thanks for stopping by! You've found us at Day 25 of my 31 Days series on Celebrating Life. If you'd like to see all the other posts so far, you'll find the introduction here {includes post-list at the bottom} or the posts all here :)

Seeing that I only have two days left (whaaa??!) and I haven't really touched on this yet, I thought today was a good day to do so. And also, since I can't really do justice to the topic, I think I will let Shauna use her beautiful words today. 

"What I know now is that his [God's] kindness burns through even the deepest betrayals and invites life from death every chance we let him. There are things that explode into our lives and we call them curses, and then one day, a year later or ten years later, we realize that they are actually something else. They are the very most precious kinds of blessings." ~Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines

"But the only person who decided my life had turned to dust was me. The only person who is still deeply troubled about what I've lost, even in the face of what I've gained, is me. I would never have wanted it this way, but something bright and beautiful has been given to me, and I'm in grave danger of losing it, squandering it, becoming a person who cannot find the goodness that's right in front of her because of the sadness that she chooses to let obscure it.
Now we're talking about celebration. Celebration when you think you're calling the shots? Easy. Celebration when your plan is working? Anyone can do that. But when you realize that the story of your life could be told a thousand different ways, that you could tell it over and over as a tragedy, but you choose to call it an epic, that's when you start to learn what celebration is. When what you see in front of you is so far outside of what you dreamed, but you have the belief, the boldness, the courage to call it beautiful instead of calling it wrong, that's celebration."~Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines

 Celebration is hardest and most precious when it is hard. But it is so. worth. it. 

linking up with Elizabeth :) 

31 Days :: {17} :: Today...

 Hey there friends! thanks for stopping by! You've found us at Day 17 of my 31 Days series on Celebrating Life. If you'd like to see all the other posts so far, you'll find the introduction here {includes post-list at the bottom} or the posts all here :) 

Today, we're celebrating a last minute trip to our grandparents, to see our Papa who is having surgery this Thursday. {Please pray? :)}

We're celebrating family, and good food, and games and laughter.

And also? ...I'm celebrating God's timing, because as we headed over this direction it turns out my great-grandmother had a heart attack today and what a blessing that we were able to be here to help and support. Prayers for her and my grandfather would be appreciated as well!

blessings on your day friends!
love Emma

linking up with Chantel and Elizabeth :)

Tunes Tuesday :: Giants

We all have those 'giants' in our lives, things that stand in the way of dreams that people say will never be able to come true, and sometimes we even doubt them ourselves. And sure, maybe some of them will never happen, but the truth of it is, each and every one of them could. Because we have a God with whom everything is possible. Sometimes these things we're holding onto, dreams or whatever, don't happen because God doesn't allow them to, maybe they aren't a part of His plan for our lives. And that's something hard. But I think a lot of times our miracles don't happen because we don't step out and fight those giants. Friends, we are not alone in this fight, and everything is possible for the One we are fighting with!

I just love this song, it is so catchy and it holds such truth! :)

Francesca Battistelli - Giants Fall

Everyone's telling you
To let go of what you're holding to
It's too late, too far
You're too small, it's too hard
Throwing water on that spark
Living deep inside your heart
With oceans of reasons
The things you're not seeing
But oh, maybe they don't
Know what you know
That you're not alone

[Chorus:]
Don't you be afraid
Of giants in your way
With God you know that anything's possible
So step into the fight
He's right there by your side
The stones inside your hand might be too small
But watch the giants fall

We could really live like this
Can't you imagine it
So bold, so brave
With childlike faith
Miracles could happen
Mountains would start moving
So whatever you may face

[Chorus]

Ask and believe
You're gonna see
The hand of God in every little thing

[Chorus]

Miracles can happen
Anything is possible
Watch the giants fall 

What about you? What giants are holding you back from things you believe can happen in your life?

blessings, friends!

love Emma

Tunes Tuesday :: cornerstone

When I first heard this song at church, it was back in the stpring, and I did not like this song. It sounds just like a hymn I grew up loving, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less. The lyrics to most of the verses are the same, but they changed the melody and that bothered me. so. much. :P

Fast forward several months... I love this song! :)

We sang it at church on Sunday, and I have had it stuck in my head ever since then. I know there is a point where even an amazing song gets annoying when it is stuck in my head, but one thing I love is when I get a great worship song stuck in my head and sing it all the time for a couple of days and I really begin to ponder the lyrics and what it means.

Like the first line {two lines?} of this song:
my hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I find that all too often my hope is built on things that are far less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Things like the weather {seriously. far too much.}, and my family and friends, and my activities for the day. And the list goes on and on. I guess by the grace of God that's something I need to work on. 
 

Cornerstone - Hillsong

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

When Darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
He is Lord
Lord of all

Christ alone
Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless stand before the throne.

I pray that this song will encourage you today, and to think about what your hope is built on. Anyone else find their hope built on things that are not Jesus' blood and righteousness? 

love Emma

Linking up with Chantel through Jack of All Trades :)

Tunes Tuesday :: late {again :P}

We're busy packing up because we're heading away to visit family and camp in Michigan for a week and of course I am not organized enough to get my blogging done on schedule. So this post is late.

And because we'll be away, and once again, I'm not organized enough to blog ahead of time, there will be no Tunes Tuesday post next week either.

But on to this week's post. I found this CD at the thrift store, and I knew a couple of songs from Christian radio and I decided to pick it up. As I played it through, there was this one song that really reached me. I was sitting in the car, and listening to every word.

Addison Road - Change in the Making

Oh, the chorus. Lately I have been convicted that I have been living a complacent comfortable life. And that is so not biblical! So I've been asking Him to mold me and chip away all those things I don't need. It is uncomfortable to grow like that but it is worth it! Broken pride hurts, it's not 'cool' to be under construction. But I'm gonna trust that the One who created me knows that better version of me and how best to get there.

And ya know what? it's not even that comfortable living the comfortable life anyways. :P at least, that's what I've found, after a while.

There's a better version of me
That I can't quite see
But things are gonna change
Right now I'm a total mess and
Right now I'm completely incomplete
But things are gonna change
'Cause you're not through with me yet

This is redemption's story
With every step that I'm taking
Every day, you're chipping away
What I don't need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I'm closer to who I'm meant to be
I'm a change in the making

Wish I could live more patiently
Wish I would give a little more of me
Without stopping to think twice
Wish I had faith like a little child
Wish I could walk a single mile
Without tripping on my own feet
But you're not through with me yet

This is redemption's story
With every step that I'm taking
Every day, you're chipping away
What I don't need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I'm closer to who I'm meant to be

From the dawn of history
You make new and you redeem
From a broken world to a broken heart
You finish what you start in everything

Like a river rolls into the sea
We're not who we're going to be
But things are going to change

I'm Livin' redemption's story
With every step that I'm taking
Every day, you're chipping away
What I don't need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I'm closer to who I'm meant to be
I'm a change in the making [x2]
I'm not who I'm gonna be
Moving closer to your glory 

blessings friends!

love Emma

Tunes Tuesday :: life isn't fair

Well this week I am away at CYWAL, and hopefully I will come back with some interesting and hopefully insightful things to share, but for now I have this lovely song to share with you all :)

(I chose this song a while ago, and then wrote something up last night (Saturday), and then while I was lying in bed last night, the line 'life will all make sense in the end' kept running through my head, and all I could think of was the sponsored kids at camp and how life wasn't fair. So I got up this morning and rewrote the post.)

"Life will all make sense... in the end"

Having just got to the end of OASIS week, one of the most awesome and exciting and exhausting weeks of my year, I seen just the tip of the ice burg on how life isn't fair. I live suche a blessed life, and when I come in to contact with the forty-or-fifty-some-odd sponsored kids who come to our camp, most of them from less than desirable situations, it makes my heart ache. 

Some of the kids don't have CD players because the little money their parents have gets spent on other things, often addictions. Many of the kids have broken homes, some with step-siblings on both sides. Some don't even get breakfast in the morning.

I was talking with some of the parents of my campers on the last day, ad the father of one of the kids in my group said something that made me smile gratefully, yet made my heart break for this little girl. He said, "I could see just by the way she was holding your hand, looking at you, and sitting on your lap that she really took to you. She doesn't get to see her mom too often, and I know that she really took to you. I could see you treated her real well and I appreciate it. She really took to you."

Another of the kids in my group, a little boy who I know was going home to a hard situation, came crying to give me a hug at the end. "I'll miss you," he said, making the tears begin to roll down my face. "I'll miss you too," I told him, holding him close. Then I sat him on my knee, looked into his beautiful eyes and tried my best to speak life into his little five year old life. "But ya know what William*? Even when I can't be with you, God is always with you. And He loves you! Before He even made the world He thought up all the people He was going to make and He thought up you. He thought up your beautiful smile, and your lovely eyes, and the way you laugh, and He said, I'm going to make William Bridges*, and so He did. And I'm so glad! He made you William*, and He loves you, and He will always be right with you." He started crying again, saying something about forgetting, and I reminded him of the scrapbook we'd made that week, with the Bible points and verses, and stories, and pictures. "And I'll pray for you," I promised, "every day." 

Life isn't fair. And I don't know why. Why is it that I have a wonderful family, with both parents and lots of siblings, and beautiful house, with always enough to eat, when there are kids in my own Canadian city who don't have any of that? It doesn't make any sense to me! But this song reminds us, that in the end, life will all make sense. We will see how God used all these messed up situations for His glory, to spread His love and lead people closer to Him. He doesn't like our pain, but He is with us throughout it, and He doesn't let it go for nought. I don't know why the little girl's parents are split and she doesn't get to see her mom, and I don't know why God is allowing William's* home situation to be hard, but He does, and we just need to trust. We know that Romans 8:28 tells us that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Natalie Grant - In the End

Can't catch a break
You've had your fill of old clichés
Like "life is hard but God is good"
And even though it's true
It won't stop what you're going through
I wish that I could say it would

But He's outside of what you feel
It might not make sense
But one day it will

There's coming a day the sun will always shine
He's gonna wipe away every tear from your eyes
Hold on my brother, things are gonna better
You're gonna smile again
Cause we win in the end

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh

You're standing still
Life has handed you a bitter pill
Once again you're on your face

You've got questions
Plenty of secret confessions
Wondering if you've run out of grace

But He's outside of what you feel
This life is just a moment
But our forever is sealed, oh yeah

There's coming a day the sun will always shine
He's gonna wipe away every tear from your eyes
Hold on my brother, things are gonna better
You're gonna smile again
Cause we win in the end

It won't be about streets of gold, pearly gates
Harps and wings, diamond lakes
All I know is that He's gonna hold you, hold me
Heartache will disappear
Questions will become clear
Life will all make sense in the end

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh
We win in the end
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh

There's coming a day the sun will always shine
He's gonna wipe away every tear from your eyes
Hold on my brother, things are gonna better
You're gonna smile again
Cause we win in the end

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh
We win in the end
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh

Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
We win in the end

Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
Glory, glory hallelujah
We win in the end
We win in the end 

I pray this song would bless you today, as you think about what it really means when it says, 'we win in the end', and 'life will all make sense in the end', because it is true, and even if we can't see it now, we will someday!
Prayers would be appreciated for all the kids who were at camp this past week, but especially for the sponsored kids.

Blessings!

love emma xoxo

*name changed

Tunes Tuesday :: camp edition

VBS camp is this week and one of the songs that we're asingin' that I'm alovin' is Forever Reign {camp version} and {regular version}.

This is one of my {many many many many many lol} favourite songs.... and on one of those days when I feel like everything is just out of my control and I can't deal I will put this song on, close my eyes, and let the truth sink into my soul as I run to His arms. I love that how it reminds my heart of the steadfastness of His character, He is good {when there's nothing good in me}, He is light {when the darkness closes in}, He is everything that I need and when I run to Him I am made whole.

I'm alookin' {don't ask me. I don't know why the language is acomin' out this way. ha} at last week's post, and realizing that there is a similarity. I guess that right now I'm just seeking the assurance of who God is, and that He will always be right by me. It doesn't matter what's going on, or how I feel:  He is still peace, He is still true, He is still joy, and He is here. I so need that right now. Anyone with me?

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I'm running to Your arms,
I'm running to Your arms.
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I'm running to Your arms
I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My heart will sing
no other Name
Jesus, Jesus

Oh, I'm running to Your arms
I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough

know this, my friends, for it is true and always will be.

love emma xoxo

Linking up with Chantel and Elizabeth today :)

the wasteland-bush and the tree by the stream

Jeremiah 17:5-8
“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

This is one of my favourite passages. Well, the second half is. The first half I like, and I included it here as a contrast, and while I wouldn't say it's a favourite, it is certainly has several points we can learn from.

Here are a few things that we can draw from each part of the passage, to contrast with each other.

5-6

• Cursed
• Trusts in man
• Bush in wastelands
• Desert, wasteland, salt land (Dt. 29:23)
• Parched
• No prosperity
• Strength from man
• Turns away from God

7-8

• Blessed
• Trusts in the LORD
• Confidence in the lord
• Tree by water
• Roots by the stream
• No fear of heat
• No worries of drought
• Always bearing fruit

Think about that word picture, of the two ways of life. You get your strength from yourself, and you and your life are just a bush in the wastelands. Wastelands - what images does that word bring to your mind? A barren land, with not a lot of plants, no water, a lonely place, it has no way of sustaining life. Now think of being in the desert without water - think even of being really thirsty on a hot day, then multiply that, you are parched. You are cursed, and whether you realize it or not, you turn away from God. You may even think you are still walking with God - and truly you are never too far from Him, all you need to do is turn - but you cannot be walking by both your strength and His. When you walk by yours you are rejecting Him, or turning away from Him. You are a bush in the wasteland. 

 Now let's look at the promises that we have to hold to when we are getting our strength from God. We are a tree by the water, our roots are by the stream. Even if the land goes dry, we will still have our source of water, and our leaves will still be green. We can have confidence in the LORD. Confidence! Think about it, what a powerful word. We will be blessed. We don't need to fear and worry about heat or drought coming, because our water supply won't disappear on us. We also don't need to fear or worry if we are in the middle of one of those seasons. If we are, maybe we're not getting our strength from God, and that's something to pray about and really work on! 

And the last few months, this has been the part of the verse that I have really clung to, that has been powerful in my life. "and never fails to bear fruit." If I am getting my strength from the LORD, there is no promise that life will be easy, all lollipops and sunshine, it won't even always be hard work that makes you feel good-tired at the end of the day. It will be messy, and we will have troubles (John 16:33). But what we can hold to, is that even in a season of drought, or heat, or whatever it may be - we will not stop bearing fruit. That's because we're not the ones doing it anyway, and He who does, is not affected by the seasons. 

If your strength comes from the LORD, rest assured, that even if you don't feel like it, you are bearing fruit.


May God bless you richly this day, as you seek to walk in His strength!
Emma 

Linking up with Elizabeth over at Oak and Oats today :)

year in review

as another birthday comes around, another year passing, I like to take a look at the year I'm leaving behind me, the year closing, and see how I've grown, how God has been working in my life.

last year's.

this past year has been, well, a roller coaster ride.  last summer was good (to be perfectly honest it always seems to me like the summers are just an amazing blur filled with so many fun days and other days that are.... well let's just say less fun), and the end of the summer was just spectacular (we went out west to see some friends). the fall was pretty rough, and I know that God was using it to teach me lots of things. the winter was a lot better, and I find when you look back at something it's a lot easier to see how you've grown through it and the difference between where you are and where you were.

once again, I thank the LORD that I read 1000 gifts because I have truly discovered in my life that when I am off track, the best way to get on track is simply to spend more time with God, and count your blessings. this spring has mostly been lovely. {I say mostly, and what I mean by that is that it has indeed been lovely, but there are days here and there, which are not so much, ya know?} I know that I can look back over the past year and see that God has had a plan to work in my life, and there were things that hurt, and while I was in them I wished I didn't have to, but now when I look back I see how much closer to God I have grown and I can say honestly that I am okay with it all. but only because God's got a plan and He works in my life, and He worked through that.

some things God has been teaching me this year include but are not limited to:
1. biggest thing. God will work in every little detail of your life. everything that God brings you into He will bring you through and out of, and if you use that as an "excuse" to run to Him, He will bring you out of it closer to Him.
2. contentment (if you read this blog at all you probably already know that haha!). there are some things in your life you can change. go out and change those if you don't like them! ...but there are lots of things you can't change -and so why would I want to waste all that time wishing for something I didn't have? time is precious people! make the most of what you've got!
3. living on your own power is just. so. exhausting. when I don't start my day with the LORD, and "stop in" a few times a day, I do stupid things and by the end of the day I'm a mess. yes.

some books I read this year that helped me grow that I would totally recommend to others:
1. A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman. you have a life to live. you can make art where you are now. you don't need to be a painter or a musician or anything like that to make art. to make art with your life is to glorify God.
2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. this book is great!!! it's pretty deep and a little confusing at times, but it's written in a way that is so easy to read... I have learned a lot of great things from this book.
3. The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing by Jeff Goins. I will admit that while I did read the first part of the book I only skimmed the second part... but I liked this book. did you know we spend a crazy whack of time waiting in our lives? (at the grocery store, the doctor's, etc, or for bigger things like university acceptances, or a baby etc) and I know that I tend to think of waiting as a waste of time, but God has given us this time for a purpose and we've got to use it too!

a few songs that God has used in my life this year:

my favourite hymn-y-worship-y song lately: Crown Him (Chris Tomlin & Kari Jobe)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NCcMqD_0z4

I need Him. Oh, yes! Every hour, every millisecond, whether I realize it or not!  Lord, I Need You - Matt Maher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

Holy Spirit -Francesca Battistelli (honestly, I am so loving her entire new album!)
"Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for / To be overcome by Your presence, Lord"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvBBC7-PSHo

I also made a youtube playlist with 'just a few' of the many many songs that I loved this year. (those that I remembered yesterday anyways lol)

this year I spent a lot of time in the Psalms, Isaiah, Philippians and a few other epistles. some verses (&passages) that have meant a lot to me:
(if I didn't put the passage there is a link)

Isaiah 58

Isaiah 55:9-11

Isaiah 46:4

Isaiah 44:22-23
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
    for I have redeemed you.”²³ Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
    you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
    he displays his glory in Israel.

Psalm 25: 12-13

Psalm 27:4

Psalm 27:13-14
I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 34:8

Psalm 37:4, 23

Psalm 51:10-12

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

2 Corinthians 12:9a,10b
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Philippians honest to goodness, I so love this book! picking a few favourite passages was very hard, please go and read it yourself. slowly. over and over and over again.

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:9-11

Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:15b-16

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:19

Colossians 3:17, 23

God has got a glorious plan for our lives, so that we might be part of the beautiful tapestry He is weaving for His glory. I pray that I would never forget that. We worship and great and Almighty God, who has loved us wayy beyond what we can comprehend. I pray that we would live like we know it!
I hope that you got something out of this mumbo-jumbo ;)

love Em

taste and see

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

please note that this verse says 'that', not 'if'. once you have tasted, there is no choice. the LORD IS good. this is an absolute truth, not a preference thing. God, whose glory extends beyond time, and beyond the scope of our minds and imaginations, IS good, and what you feel about that doesn't make a speck of difference in the matter. to those who believe that they have tasted and found that God was not good.... all I can say is that you must not have truly tasted. there must have been something sinful, something of the flesh that you were keeping between you and the God. and I earnestly pray that you would truly taste and experience the LORD, for you will find that He is good. it is simply impossible to find otherwise. God is good beyond our experiences and our world, and just because you may have had a bad time in life DOES NOT mean that God is not good.

I know personally, that there are certainly times when you've got to work at it, but I can also tell you, without a doubt, that when you have tasted the LORD and found shelter in Him, there is NOTHING that can compare.

bless you, friends.
~em

with my head and not my heart

*sigh*

this week I've attempted any number of times to make a post. I think and think about something to write about, and then I start it. usually I have a whole bunch of half formed ideas rolling around in my head on that subject, and when I try and spit them out, they end up all jumbled and messy and not really what I think I'm trying to say. so I just left all of them to be finished at a later date when those thoughts become more fully formed.

I wasn't exactly sure why I was having this problem, but as I was talking to my dear friend last night, I was saying that my walk with God (and much of how I've been going through life lately) felt very much right now like I was doing it with my head and not my heart. I've been faithful at reading the Bible, and mostly faithful at praying, I have lovely blogs that I follow, I've been going to church, I have praise music on almost all the time, so it's not like I've 'taken a break' from any of those activities. I just feel like it's all so 'half-there'. it's so much easier for me to just read my chapter or two of the Bible for the day then it is to journal, and even praying feels sort of fake. I've tried crying out to God, asking Him to let this be more real again, let me feel it. and nothing happens. this isn't a case of my not believing anything about Him, I truly believe that He is there, and He loves us, and "all that". I just don't feel it. I'm sure that it's something going on on my side (after all He's not left me, or anything, He's still where He was), but I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF IT!!

but then I was thinking about it. and I realized that it's what we do when we don't feel like it, that's what makes us grow. it's easy to follow Christ when you feel like it, when there's depth in your relationship, when everything is going good. but it's when it's not so easy to follow Him that we show what we're made of, and how strong is that grace that saved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:38-39

I can't wait until I start moving through life with God with my heart again! but right now I'm going to be faithfully walking with my head. if you are going through a similar experience, keep plugging away! if we all waited until we felt like it to do anything, we wouldn't do anything! rather, at some point, the feelings will follow the actions. prayin for y'all!

love Em

preparation

"Every experience God give us is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see." Thus saith Corrie ten Boom in her book, The Hiding Place; where, as you journey through the lives of the ten Boom family, you cannot help but see that this is true. There are many lessons to be learned in this wonderful book but it seems to me that this is the thread that ties them all together.

In any book, whether it is fiction or a true story, it becomes clear to the reader throughout the account, but especially at the end, that all of the events fit together in such a way so that the characters end up where they are supposed to be. The same is true with our lives. Each of our lives here on earth has an endpoint, and only God knows when and where that is, and what it holds. We can only see the events in our lives as we go through them, and then as we look back upon them. As we look back on our lives, often we can begin to see how certain circumstances will fit together, leading us to where we are today. This is valuable; but think that as finite humans, how limited our view of all that is in comparison to our infinite God. He can see the whole of our story, and not just that but everyone in the history of the universe's story - those in the past, present, and the future - and how they all fit gloriously together to point to the greatness of our God. Life is like a tapestry, from the bottom we can see nothing orderly, nothing beautiful; only tangled up threads. But from God's vantage point, He can see how it all fits gloriously together into an image, as Corrie once said "Only heaven will reveal the top side of God's tapestry."

Pain hurts. But pain with a purpose can allow us to hope. Oftentimes when we are going through a hard situation, when we are feeling hurt, it feels as if it is pointless.  But the Bible promises that this is not so! In Romans chapter five verses three and four Paul writes: "Not only so, but let us also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Another similar passage is James 1:2-3, which says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Clearly, suffering and pain is not meaningless. We will grow through our hard times, making us more mature and prepared for what God has planned for us down the road...which will then prepare us more yet again for what comes after. Corrie also says “Our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things too. Don't run out ahead of Him.”

We cannot see the future - but God does. We cannot possibly know what we will need when we get there, or even how we will get there, but He does. That encourages me a great deal, knowing that if I am walking in God's will for my life that He will give me everything that I will need in the future.  Even if it means going through hard times; if it is where He wants me to be, then that is where I want to be, because "when a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” (Corrie ten Boom) God is the engineer. Even when life doesn't go the way that I think it should, I can rest assured that God knows where I need to be going and He will get me there. There is nothing that can happen to me that He does not allow, and He will use all of it to prepare me for what He has in store for my life, to bring Him glory.

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Eph 6:23-24)Blessings!
~em

connections

the more I learn, the more I see that everything is seriously connected.

right now, I am really dealing with contentment. (favourite blogs writing about contentment for 31 Days in Oct: Sarah Writes  and Cassidy Robinson :)) don't we all say to ourselves - 'I'll be content when _______' (fill in the blank for yourself), but I know for a fact that when I get there I will then be saying 'I'll be content when ______' about the next step in my life, and this will keep going until I die unless somewhere along the line I learn to be content right where I am. so why not start now?

I am seeing that the key to being content is 3ish things, all of which are connected.

God's presence. His character. who He is. dwelling on this y'all. Our God is the God of love, He is just, He is sovereign, He is good, He is best, besides a million other things that I don't have the brainpower or time to list this morning. when we think, really think, when we soak in who our AMAZING God is - how are we not content? He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we could have life??? *mindblown* our God truly is good, which leads me to my next point:

His promises. (favourite blog about His glorious goodness this Oct: With Love, From Here). there are many, many promises in the Bible (just googled it quickly and results varied from 1500-3000). when we know who our God is, and that He will not let us down, His promises have a lot of worth. we can hope in them, trust in them, and we can be content.

gratitude. (Ann Voskamp's blog A Holy Experience has truly spoken God's words to me during hard times in my life) I truly believe this is key to contentment. discontent stems from thanklessness. when we are not thankful for what we have, where and who we are, then what we don't have looks better than what we do have, and this is discontent. when we give thanks for all things, we are accepting God's plan for our lives. we are showing Him that we truly believe that He does not make mistakes and that He really does know best. when we neglect to give thanks we are telling God that we know better than Him what we need right now. and ummm, I'm sorry, but we don't. contentment in each moment stems from gratitude in each moment. I could go on and on about giving thanks but considering this is just supposed to be an overview of some of the things that I feel are related to contentment I will save all that for another post ;).

other things related to contentment:

hope. (Sweetwater blog) sometimes I have trouble with this one because I feel like when I'm hoping for something, that makes me less content with where I am/what I have. but I think that when that happens to me, I am not hoping in the true sense of the word. hope should encourage us that God is good and what He has for us is good. we can hope for specific things and that is not wrong, but we can take it in the wrong direction and become discontent when we feel that God is not moving fast enough.

yearning and desire. right now one of my prayers is that the LORD would be my first desire. admission, often, He is not. :( and this makes me sad.

trust. in order for any of this to be of any worth to me I need to trust in God's character, His promises, hope etc.

sometimes it is necessary for us to 'fake it til we make it': go through the motions even when we don't feel like it, and the feeling will follow along. maybe not for a long time; but it will. I promise. if we waited for the right feeling to be content/joyful/thankful/hopeful, it would never happen - at least not really and not for the long term. we need to choose contentment.

I don't want to make any promises about what I'm going to post on next, but right now I have this idea of maybe going a little deeper into each of those sections that I've mentioned above. we'll see if it lasts long enough to actually make the posts ;)

May the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. (Num. 6:24-26)

love em

God's Presence

When you look in the Bible, it seems to me that the greatest promise that God has to offer us is that He will be with us. If the God who created the universe simply by speaking it, who saves nations from ruin, who conquered death, - if His greatest promise is that He will be with us - it has to be nothing short of the most super amazing totally awe-inspiring thing ever! I think sometimes, that we tend to shortchange this promise - I know that I do.

I found this whole list of comforting verses and I can think of even a few more off the top of my head. If you read those verses, most of them say something along the lines of 'do not fear for God is with you.' That is a promise!

There is this song.

And this one.

(sorry if there's a lot of music on this blog, but it is one way that I can really feel God speak to me)

 For me, when I am in the middle of trouble, of a peace-less time, I will petition God for something, whatever it is I feel like I need. But what I really should be doing is simply thanking Him for being with me - for He is; His promises say so, and He will keep His promises! What else do I need besides that, really? It's not wrong to ask God to do something to save me, but it shouldn't be my first priority.

If the absolute best thing He can offer us in times of strife is that He will be with us - how awesome can that be? His presence is worth than we give it credit for many times. 

I've heard many times, the idea of how the story of this whole world is like a tapestry, and God can see it from the top, and we can only see it from the bottom, and even then only a limited, very small section. From our vantage point, it looks ugly, and we might ask why? But from God's vantage point - where He can see all of the top - it is an extremely beautiful tapestry, all to His glory!

Everything on this earth happens for a reason, sometimes for several, but the reason overall is to bring God glory. And I know it's easy to say this, sitting on a comfortable chair, in my nice house, wearing nice clothes with a full stomach, but I would like to think that I could get through anything to bring my God glory! Especially if He is with me - which He is.

It is really easy (for me anyways) to lose sight of the fact that God - the Creator of the universe - is right here with me!  It is something I need to remind myself over and over again!

I feel like I'm starting to go around in circles, as I can't really think of any other points or ways to explain it... I know I've said it before, but honestly, if the greatest thing He has to offer us is His presence - then know that it is great! It is enough!

Isaiah 43:1-3
But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord your God,  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Our God is great, He is in control, and He is with us!!

May God bless y'all today and may you feel His awesome presence!
love Emma

Walk on the Water

I have always loved the story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water, but yesterday as I was reading it again, I discovered a few more things about it and now I love it even more! I just thought I would share them :)

Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Some of the things I noticed:

This story happens during the night. During the dark. It clearly says 'shortly before dawn'. This reminds me of this song and all those things we say about it being the darkest before the dawn. It was also storming (okay maybe not a storm, but at least very windy and wavy). 
 This story is applicable during the dark, during life's storms, during hard times. Jesus and Peter were walkin' on the water in the middle of the storm, in the dark. Not on a calm, beautiful sunny day. 

Something that I have always seen, but thought I would put down again, is that they were all afraid. In v 27 Jesus tells them 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' It is I. Why don't I listen to those words in my own life? When I am crippled by fear, why don't I look over to Jesus and wait for him to say those words?

Then Peter responds to Him, saying, 'LORD, if it's you, tell me to come to you, on the water.' I guess Peter still had a little bit of doubt going on. So He called to Jesus to show Himself, prove it was Him. He said, LORD, if it's you, let me walk on the water. Jesus tells him 'come'.

So Peter gets out of the boat, and starts walking on the water towards Jesus. In the middle of this dark night, in this storm, Peter is part of a miracle. He has let go of his fear, He is trusting in Jesus, and look at the amazing things that are happening! But then Peter took his eyes off Jesus. He saw the wind, and he became afraid, and began to sink. 

What storms am I going through in my life right now? Where is it dark, right before the dawn? And I'm afraid; I just want to stay where I think it's secure (even thought it's really not, even). Jesus tells me, He says to me, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' But I don't listen. Sometimes, not often. But He's saying them! Peter, then still struggling with a little doubt, as I'm sure I would be, calls to Jesus. LORD, if it's you, give me a miracle. Throw me a lifeline - show me! And Jesus says, come. That's it. Come. Not 'come when you feel secure' not 'come when you have a better job' or 'come when you grow up' or when you have a bigger house, or when your kids grow up or anything. Just 'come.' And it takes faith to step out there. Peter did - and look what happened! He was walking on the water! Walking on water people! I think sometimes, as Christians we've heard this story (and so many others) so many times that while they are still miracles we forget to revel in the miracle in it. So I will say it one more time - People, He was walking on the water! But then Peter got caught up in the wind around him and he became distracted, and fearful, and he wasn't sure if he could do this anymore. We forget to focus on Jesus and the storm (mentioned above) begins to make us fearful again. And we begin to sink. But Jesus is greater than the wind. Once they got back into the boat, He calmed it.

Why? Why? Why do we do that? We've got it all! We're trusting Jesus, we're walking on water, in the middle of life's storm nonetheless. But we let our circumstances influence us, send us back to fear all crippling and maiming. It's not really that hard. Okay, maybe it is. But it's not really that complicated, there's no 10 page instruction manual for how to walk on water. You simply have to have faith. 

I pray that I, and that all of us, would be able to fix our eyes on Jesus, that even in the dark, in the middle of the storm, that we would trust, and that we would come, and that we would walk on the water. I pray that while we are walking, that we would not be tempted to look around us, and think about the storm - because Jesus is greater! 

What is crippling you today? Where do you need to hear Jesus' words, and step out and join Him on the water? 

May you all have a lovely lovely day!! :)
Emma

P.S. there is a really awesome song; Walk on the Water by Britt Nicole which you might also enjoy listening to :)


 

Delight in the LORD folks! ;)

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When I was younger, I always thought that this verse meant that if I delighted in the LORD then God would give me what I wanted, He would make all my dreams come true. I thought, I like this verse! It's like the key for making my life turn out the way I want it.

Fast forward.... now I am closer to God than ever, delighting in Him more than I ever have before (and I've still a long ways to go!), and I see that this verse has a different meaning. ...sort of.

It still means that you should delight in the LORD, it still means that He will give you the desires of your heart, but there is a little part that I was missing all those years. When you are really, truly, finding delight (I need a synonym here!) in the LORD, then what you desire will be what God wants for you. And I don't mean always, I mean, I can't speak for later in my life, or in yours, but for right now, I still have the desire to sin, and obviously that is not from the LORD. But what I desire in my heart when I am delighting in the LORD is to have His will fulfilled in my life because I know that it is a million times better than my dreams were anyways. And you never know - once you decide to give up your dreams (still dream them! but be open to where God would have you go) then perhaps God will give them right back to you - made over and better than you could have imagined!

And I think that is just so cool! :) 


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Emma