Dear Blog Readers,
Though many of you may only know me as the psycho girl who writes random bedtime stories, I am actually stuck with a brief flash of insight every once and a while. And today, I feel like it’s rather profound.
When I was a little girl, my dad would always find so much joy in my hair. He loved to see it long and I’m pretty sure he shed a tear or two when I got it cut (he still has the 7 or so inches of 5-year-old me’s hair). Though it’s darkened a bit over the years, it is still a great source of love for me and my dad.
Basically, I have fabulous hair.
No, wait! Hear me out.
It’s a dirty, slightly-strawberry blond and it’s thick, soft, luscious, and grows quickly to boot. I know that you’re still trying to click the little red X and stop listening to this psycho chat about her hair. But I have a point. Although I have this beautiful hair, it isn’t mine. It’s God’s. I’m His little girl, just like I’m still my daddy’s little girl. And while my daddy loves my hair and delights so much in seeing it long spilling down my back, God knows, and I know, that there’s even something better I can do with my hair than let my daddy pet it.
There are so many other little girls out there with daddies who love them like my daddy loves me but not all of them have hair like mine, or, get this, hair at all. So I want to grow out my hair and cut it off and donate it so that another little girl out there can have pretty hair like mine (and so that another daddy out there can delight in his baby girl all the more).
Now, I’m not trying to convince you all that you should grow out your hair and donate it. That’s not my point at all.
Here’s my point.
Don’t miss it now!
What I’m trying to do is use what I have to… Add a smile to the world. I’m trying to take my God-given gifts and use them for a slightly more noble cause than playing up my own assets. While cutting off my hair isn’t exactly a soul earned for Him or a Bible donated or a tithe paid, I feel like it is being one step (out of infinity, I might add) closer to glorifying God with all that I am and all that I do. It’s a gift to a person who lacks what God has given me in spades.
Here’s where I was going with this.
It’s a positive action done in a world of negativity. And that right there is living for Him. And now that I’ve made the descision not only to grow my hair out , but to donate it, I can’t WAIT to see those scissors! I can’t wait to send another ponytail out into the world of wig-makers who make so many more smiles than wigs. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to serve and God is taking this opportunity to touch my heart and ‘serve’ me.
At Cedarville, I’m finding out that living your life for God doesn’t mean you study nursing and then go out to be a missionary nurse or studying Bible to be a pastor or playing the piano beautifully for Church services. It’s more about living out each day, in every way, for a pure purpose. This could look like picking up that random piece of trash you see laying around, dressing modestly, holding the door for someone, smiling at everyone you meet, censoring what kinds of music you listen to. It’s kinda all in the way you live that sometimes touches people the most.
Michael Franzese came to Cedarville and talked about how he first noticed the woman who is now his wife. He told us that she stuck out to them because she didn’t go out and party it up with the rest of the dancers or things like that. He was attracted to this girl because she lived her life differently from the rest.
So. That ties back in with what I was talking about – the whole “it’s kinda all in the way you live that sometimes touches a person.” So whatever you do, piano, art, chemistry, business, athletic training, food service, marketing… Do it all in a way that will please Him. Take the talents and gives He has given you and sail them out into the big, scary world to be a beacon of pure, white, radiant light.
I mention the boats because I once read a quote by William Shedd: “A ship is safest in its harbor, but that's not what ships are made for.” So set your ship out and sail boldly; knowing that all the time God is there to guide it safely wherever its destination may be.
-Emily
11.24.2010
What is your Greatest Treasure?
Thanksgiving is here, and Christmas is around the corner. In this time, people usually try to think about what they're thankful for - about gifts and presents and loved ones.
I've been thinking about this quite a lot recently - especially being at college it seems that all the joys and comforts of home mean more to me than ever. But you know another thing that I've been thinking about?
Treasures.
We all have something we treasure, something so valuable to us that we take every opportunity to admire it and show it off to others. The possession we could never replace, the talent we could never put to waste, the physical feature we could never live without.
But you know what? There's another side to these treasures. Each one of them can so easily become more than something valuable - they can become our life.
Welcome to TREASURES, the blog hop with a message.
From today until November 30th, I will be putting on this blog hop on TREASURES. I would strongly encourage you to think about those things that you value highly, that you would give anything to keep always in your possession - and then think about how you could give them away. It doesn't have to be literally giving them up - perhaps more of a "letting go" in your heart and mind, or perhaps being willing to share them in some way with others.
For the Bible says in Matthew 6:19 that we ought not to "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." And elsewhere it says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
So think about this, pray about this, and be sure to link up! :)
Not sure what to post about? Tomorrow I will be posting a guest post from a friend on this very topic.
I've been thinking about this quite a lot recently - especially being at college it seems that all the joys and comforts of home mean more to me than ever. But you know another thing that I've been thinking about?
Treasures.
We all have something we treasure, something so valuable to us that we take every opportunity to admire it and show it off to others. The possession we could never replace, the talent we could never put to waste, the physical feature we could never live without.
But you know what? There's another side to these treasures. Each one of them can so easily become more than something valuable - they can become our life.
Welcome to TREASURES, the blog hop with a message.
From today until November 30th, I will be putting on this blog hop on TREASURES. I would strongly encourage you to think about those things that you value highly, that you would give anything to keep always in your possession - and then think about how you could give them away. It doesn't have to be literally giving them up - perhaps more of a "letting go" in your heart and mind, or perhaps being willing to share them in some way with others.
For the Bible says in Matthew 6:19 that we ought not to "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." And elsewhere it says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
So think about this, pray about this, and be sure to link up! :)
Not sure what to post about? Tomorrow I will be posting a guest post from a friend on this very topic.
11.16.2010
Even Through the Raging Sea
"There's a raging sea right in front of me, wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees. So let the waters rise if You want them to, I will follow You, I will follow You." {Click to listen}When I first heard this song ("Let the Waters Rise" by Mikeschair), it was a hard concept for me to grasp. Why would I pray for God to "let the waters rise if You want them to?" I knew that we ought to pray for what God wants ("Not my will but Yours, Lord"), but when there's something as tumultuous as a raging sea in our path... isn't it okay to pray that He will take it away?
Sometimes the thing God wants us to do is the very thing that we've been avoiding. We're standing there at the edge, looking down at the tumult of wind and spray and waves that look so threatening... and the last thing in our minds is to plunge in. We pray for God to take this impending doom away from us... for Him to "please make everything work out..." yet what if that is not His will? What if His will is instead that we face it and rely on Him for the strength to carry through?
This all really hit home with me this week in one word:
SurrenderI've thought about surrender before, but recently it has not been on my mind in the least. I thought I was doing okay just relying on God for strength to go through each day, much less having to surrender more things to God.
But it's been cropping up everywhere - the sermon at church, chapel speakers speaking about "Surrendered Self-Awareness" and calling God "Lord," and even tonight at my discipleship small group talking about surrendering your gifts and possessions so God can use them. Each time I've heard about it, I feel the barb of conviction pierce a little deeper into my soul.
Am I too happy, God? Too stuck on things going well?If I said I had this all figured out that would not be true. I'm still working through this, trying to see, trying to trust.
When is the last time I've prayed for Your Will to be done - no matter if Your will is that my life be turned upside down or that the situation I'm praying about not get better?
Can I honestly say I will follow You even through the raging sea?
But one thing I do know, and that is that the Bible says to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us... [fixing] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1b-2)
I want to follow my Lord's example of perfect sacrifice. He has promised that if I fix my eyes on Him I can run the race well - even through the raging sea.
11.07.2010
You probably need a schedule at college...
my abundant apologies for my lack of posts recently. All of my free time (what little I have of it) has been going towards the making of my CD. Hopefully I will be able to post a little more regularly once that is done!
Here is another turn of the kaleidoscope of college. This time, the dreaded SCHEDULE.
Yep, as I quickly discovered, you must have a schedule when trying to manage all that goes into a college kid's insane day. Thankfully, God has helped me to create one and be disciplined in maintaining it (for the most part).
A typical college day would go something like this:
Wake up at 6-6:30 each morning.
Try to get to breakfast every morning. Some mornings I have them in the dorm because I really want to sleep in or I need to eat up something in my room that might go bad.
Do classes, and fit meals, practicing, and homework around them (in that order).
Practice at least two hours a day (sometimes I can do more).
Get back to the dorm usually after dinner (this varies alot, though).
Do homework/fun stuff until 11-12, when I go to bed.
I'm taking 16 credits this semester, which is slightly on the heavy side of things. My classes are:
Music Theory,
Aural Skills,
Music Philosophy and Aesthetics (a very interesting class!)
Intro to Humanities (another interesting class)
Spiritual Formation
and Choir.
I'm actually not in class a whole lot - about 2-3 hours each day (except for Monday, which is insane - 5 hours). Most of my time actually goes towards doing homework and practicing in rooms like this:
Also, walking to and from my dorm takes up a lot of my time, because it's the furthest one away from everything (and technically could be called "off campus"). It takes me about 5-10 minutes to get to the DMC, which is the building that has the music department (and where I basically live).
This is what I see practically every morning walking to breakfast. The beauty makes up for the cold. ;)
Yes, so that's what my schedule, classes, and days are usually like! Busy, packed, stressful at times, and yet so rewarding. As long as I stay disciplined, I am blessed. And I thank God for every day of it!
Unfortunately, I may disappear again for a little bit, but I have a blog hop-ish thing in the works for when I return!
Here is another turn of the kaleidoscope of college. This time, the dreaded SCHEDULE.
Yep, as I quickly discovered, you must have a schedule when trying to manage all that goes into a college kid's insane day. Thankfully, God has helped me to create one and be disciplined in maintaining it (for the most part).
A typical college day would go something like this:
Wake up at 6-6:30 each morning.
Try to get to breakfast every morning. Some mornings I have them in the dorm because I really want to sleep in or I need to eat up something in my room that might go bad.
Do classes, and fit meals, practicing, and homework around them (in that order).
Practice at least two hours a day (sometimes I can do more).
Get back to the dorm usually after dinner (this varies alot, though).
Do homework/fun stuff until 11-12, when I go to bed.
I'm taking 16 credits this semester, which is slightly on the heavy side of things. My classes are:
Music Theory,
Aural Skills,
Music Philosophy and Aesthetics (a very interesting class!)
Intro to Humanities (another interesting class)
Spiritual Formation
and Choir.
I'm actually not in class a whole lot - about 2-3 hours each day (except for Monday, which is insane - 5 hours). Most of my time actually goes towards doing homework and practicing in rooms like this:
Also, walking to and from my dorm takes up a lot of my time, because it's the furthest one away from everything (and technically could be called "off campus"). It takes me about 5-10 minutes to get to the DMC, which is the building that has the music department (and where I basically live).
This is what I see practically every morning walking to breakfast. The beauty makes up for the cold. ;)
Yes, so that's what my schedule, classes, and days are usually like! Busy, packed, stressful at times, and yet so rewarding. As long as I stay disciplined, I am blessed. And I thank God for every day of it!
Unfortunately, I may disappear again for a little bit, but I have a blog hop-ish thing in the works for when I return!
