See You Later

The countdown is on...less than two weeks until graduation...oh my lanta...

I have begun to feel every last emotion under the sun: joy, sadness, excitement, wonder, etc. This week has been a lot of "lasts" for me. Tuesday I passed on my Crosswalk position. It was a wonderful evening even though a little difficult. I am officially no longer the Assistant Director of Children's Ministries, and that is kind of a strange concept for me. Two years of my life have been committed to this ministry and a wonderful group of people. I would not know nearly all of the people that I know without Crosswalk. What a blessing that God uses positions like these as great opportunities. It was also my last Children's Ministries get together. My team all signed a card for me and gave me various words of affirmation and encouragement. Yes, I cried. This should not be a surprise to anyone. While I am super excited for what God has for the future, it is hard to see this chapter come to a close.

Hangouts, balancing acts, treasuring moments...these are all just a few of the things I have in the upcoming two weeks. I am embracing every feeling.

Yesterday was Good Friday, and I could not be more thankful for the gift of the cross. Watching The Passion of the Christ again really just reminded me of how great a cost it really was. Wow. I am blessed that I got to watch this movie with friends for the past two years.

Friends. How great they are. As graduation nears, I have promised that I will never say "good-bye." I hate that phrase. HATE IT. I have never believed in good-byes, and I am definitely not planning on starting now. One of the many cool things about being Christians is that we get to spend all eternity with each other.

Instead of saying good-bye, I will tell each and every one of you see you later. Things shift. Things change. Time moves on. However, the people I have been privileged to meet in college are people that definitely have made their mark on my heart and my life. God blesses us everyday with opportunities, and Evangel has provided several.

Yeah, there will be tears. I am one of the biggest criers I know, and that is a-ok! Closing of chapters is never easy, but it is a necessary process of life. And with the closing of one begins a whole new and exciting other. For us seniors, life is just getting started, and I cannot wait to see where God takes each and every one of us.

So, to my dear Evangel friends, don't think this is the end. Technology is a wonderful blessing. I love you all more than words can say and am blessed by your friendship. As I hug you before we all depart, know one thing. I will definitely see you later.

Love you all,
Em

Unexpected Blessings

This past week has been nothing short of incredible. It has been amazing to see how God has worked in and through my life because I surrendered.

Let me just tell you all a little story.

So, I was given the absolute AMAZING opportunity to dine with the Board of Directors and the President of our campus this past Friday.

There's God doing that humbling thing again...

Well, I didn't exactly have anything super snazzy to wear to this thing, but I wanted to be impressive. It was such an amazing honor to get to go to this luncheon, and I wanted to look like I belonged there.

And it was in this that I was completely and totally blessed.

Being at Evangel has opened so many great doors for mentorship and relationship building. One of these great mentors has been my leadership professor, Dr. Alina Lehnert.

In discussing with her that I was eating with the Board and the President, she asked me what I was going to wear. I wondered this very same thing myself. She informed me that I needed a business suit and gave me a list of places to go. Once I found something, she asked that I put it on hold.

So, on Wednesday of this week, I went browsing. Once I hit JC Penny's, I found an awesome deal and a suit that worked well for what I needed. So doing what she asked, I placed it on hold.

Then the blessing took place.

The next day, she asked me to come to her office after class. Once we were both in there, she shut the door and pulled off the suit that I had put on hold.

She had bought it for me. It was exactly what I had needed, and she was there in that need.

Dr. Lehnert hugged me and told me how much she believes in me. Trying to choke back tears, I knew nothing else but to thank her (even though this seemed anything short of adequate.)

She invested in me. She believes in me. And now, I have a business suit. Not only that, but she blessed me with a dress.

It amazes me every day how God can put such wonderful people into your life to invest and believe in you. I don't think she fully realizes how much that meant to me, but it completely touched my heart. This is one of those circumstances that I will never forget. She told me that some day I would be able to buy some young lady a suit and that I could continue to pay it forward.

I cannot wait for that opportunity.

The luncheon went fantastically, and I was given even more incredible opportunities. In fact, I really can't wait to see where God takes me in some of these encounters. More to come. I'll keep ya posted. :)

God is so faithful, and I am learning how wonderful it is when we surrender our will to the will of the Father.

Love you guys.

In Him,
Em

A Change of Plans

As some of you know, I am no longer going back to Memphis for the summer.

Trust me. This shocked me too.



As I stood at the Black sea, God told me no. He told me no to every single plan I have ever had for the past 21 years of my life. And let me tell you...it has been completely liberating.

For the first time ever, I no longer have a plan. Of course, I still have my dreams and aspirations. I dream of being able to go back to Romania and doing ministry. I dream of seeing Roxana again. Being on the east coast would bring my heart so much joy. I would get to see Steph and many of my Evangel friends. (And I know I will see these people again.) However, it is not about my plan. It's about God's.

This feeling, while liberating, is also completely scary. As I send out applications this weekend and work on my resume, I can only sit and wait to see where God leads me next. The lesson I am learning is that God's plans turn out millions of times better than mine ever could or would.

So what is my plan right now? Surrender. God asked me to surrender every single plan I have to Him while I was in Romania. Let's be honest; He's been asking me to do this for years. It just took me awhile to listen. In Romania, I had absolutely no plan. I worked off of everyone else's. While I was the student leader, I completely took a back seat and watched as God worked wonders because I finally let go. As He opened doors and brought people into my life, I realized just how fun and exciting (even though sometimes challenging) His plans are.

God knows the desires of my heart because they are desires that He has given me. I have a desire to do ministry, in whatever capacity that may be.

So, no more Memphis. As hard as this decision is, I know it's the right one. As I sit at my desk, I can see the faces of my kids in the pictures on my wall. As I look at their faces, I know that they are no longer mine to watch over. They never have been. God chose to use me to minister into their lives, and I know He will send someone else in my place. I can always pray for them, and I always will. But it is time, in some sense, to let my babies go. They will always be my babies, but God is moving me in a new and exciting direction.

I am gearing up for the ride of my life. I will keep you posted as I know more. I'm trusting completely. I surrender my life to my Master's plan.

Love you guys,
Em