Bright Lights

'Tis the season, and I absolutely love this time of year. There is so much joy and so many things to be thankful for.

Someone asked me what I enjoyed the most about Christmas, and I had to take a moment to really ponder this. I absolutely love the atmosphere of Christmas, giving gifts, seeing lights, listening to Christmas music, and being with friends and family. However, there is something else that I had never really put into words before until last night.

Christmas brings light to a very dark season.

I think this is a rather interesting concept. In one of the most dreary and freezing cold times of the year, the streets are lit for miles. There is so much joy just in the simple process of admiring Christmas lights.

Christmas could not have a more appropriate title. Christ brought his light to a dark and dying world. Like the lights that make the city shine so brightly this time of year, a light so much more powerful was brought to a dismal world and continues to shine through every season.

No wonder there is so much joy. For a society who tries to take God out of absolutely everything, they have indirectly put Him right back in through the simplicity of hanging up Christmas lights. They shine and remind people of the joy that the season brings. However, do we really stop to think about the true light that was brought to us on that Christmas day over 2,000 years ago? I do not know about you, but that makes me even more joyful just thinking about it!

One of my favorite things to do during Christmas time is go around and look at all the lights. 21 years later, I understand why. It signifies so much more to me than just the commercialized scene that Christmas has become. It is a demonstration of the beacon of hope I look to and serve every day of my life. Christmas joy does not have to be only once a year. Christmas joy is eternal for we have the light 365 days a year.

So I challenge you this year to look at the lights in a new way. Yeah, they are fun and colorful and a happy reminder of one of the most wonderful times of the year. But don't forget the light that came into this world to save us all. That is a light that shines more brightly than any bulb could do justice.



'Tis the season! I will enjoy every minute of it. :)

Love you guys,
Em

Whirlwind

A lot has happened in the past month, but as always, God proves very faithful.

I am now in a new dorm room and officially a resident of Burgess Hall.

Who in the world would have seen that coming????? I am blessed with a floor of wonderful girls. They all welcomed me in from the start, and God has shown me that in the midst of craziness, He is right there. I do miss a lot of the people from Lewis, but I know that change sometimes is very positive. So here I am embarking on a new journey my last year of school.

My last year...wow!! Sometimes graduation just comes up and smacks me in the face. I cannot believe how quickly it is approaching. My feelings are mixed. I have loved being here. My friends are incredible (and are stuck with me even after we graduate), and the experiences I have had are life-changing. I know that God has molded and shaped me due in large part to my time here. However, I am also really excited to start the next phase in my life. A lot of that has to do with Memphis.

Memphis. There is something else on my heart. Pictures of my kids are hanging on my wall in a heart shape. It kills me to not be there and that I haven't had any time to send them anything. However, as a dear friend reminded me, it is not my place to take care of them...it's the Lords'. My place and purpose are here for this moment in time. While I feel like going back next summer is a very strong possibility, I want to make sure that I go for the right reasons, and that I go because the Lord wants me to. I miss them, and they will always be on my heart, but they are in the Father's hands.

I don't want to just do the convenient thing. I want to be radical. I want to be pro-active and go to the places unknown. In some regards, I don't always want to be comfortable. I want to be streched, and I want to learn. Most importantly, I want to be surrendered to He who gives my life meaning.

It is so easy to forget to trust the Lord. Time and time again in the past few weeks, He has reminded me of how faithful He is. Affirmation has come left and right, and I could not be more thankful for that gift. I was given a dream the other night that is the closest thing to a prophecy I have ever dreamed. I was swimming in a river with snakes all over everywhere. However, they would not come anywhere near because the Lord was with me. They could see His presence surrounding me, and I could feel Him. The cool thing about that was in my devotionals the night before, I had asked the Lord to speak to me, and there it was.

The Lord is with me, and nothing can touch me. Yes difficulties come, but the Lord will not leave me. I took the snakes to be the devil, and it was really stinking cool to see them back off because of the anointing they felt on my life.

Talk about empowerment. Alright satan. Let the butt-kicking continue. My God is for me, and you just plain suck. (Yes, I said suck. It's because he does.)

Welp, I have rambled for long enough.

Live a life of victory, for God does not call us to live a life of fear. Live a life of power, for Christ gives strength to the weak and enables us to be proactive. Live a life that is radical, because God has called you to be extraordinary. Live a life full of trust, because we are in our Father's hands. While you are at it, just live.

Love you all,
Em