May 12, 2008 - Please pray
I received this email from JocelynDixon:
Some of you may know Dixiefiddler, Ryansgirls, or Dixiebeauty on HSB. Something tragic happened to their family. Their father was killed in a car accident last night. They need lots of prayer. They are just devastated and lost. Please go check out this link We need prayer.
Also pass this email onto any prayer chains or Christian friends who can also pray.
Please pray for this family and leave them a comment to let them know you're praying, if you feel led. I cannot imagine how they feel and my heart goes out to them. As their Christian family I think the least we can do is lift them up to God in prayer.
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May 5, 2008 - 20 Days of Prayer Challenge
Miss Jocelyn started a 20 days of prayer challenge that I thought was a good idea. I'm going to be praying for our own country, because I think it is sad how America is God's country but that we have gotten so far from Him. I am praying for the leaders, the churches, the Christians, and the lost.
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December 22, 2007 - The Past, Present, and Future
Wow, it hardly seems like Christmas could be two days away. Perhaps that is because most of my Christmas season was filled with play practices and performances, and I was so busy and not doing "regular" holiday activities that it didn't seem like the holiday season had really begun. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and I don't regret doing the play in any way. I just wish the Christmas season could be longer. :) Ah, but it can't, and Christmas is nearly upon us. Another reminder that life doesn't wait for us, time doesn't stop for us. It is going continually on and on. How easy it is to get caught up in the busy-ness of life. To dwell on the present happenings, our current feelings, and what we're going through here and now. Not only does this cause us to be selfish, but it causes us to miss out on so much. As one of my favorite books, "A Christmas Carol", says, we should "live in the past, the present, and the future". We always hear it said that we shouldn't live in the past, and I think that is true, if you are dwelling on the past and living in regret. But we should remember the good times we've had before, and, most of all, the most wonderful Thing that happened: God sending His Son to earth to live among us, die for us, and come back to life. Yet, we also need to live in the Present; conscious of what we can do for others and how we can further the Kingdom right now and in anticipation of the Future; when Jesus will come again to take His children to be with Him forever. Are you ready? Are the people around you ready? How easy it is to fall into the hustle and bustle and stressfulness and even the fun of the holidays that we forget the real Reason for the season. God sent His Son! Yeah, we hear it all the time. But, think about it. No, really think about it. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. C'mon, I've been singing Away in a Manger since I could talk! I've heard the Christmas story my whole life." But this is the greatest Miracle of all times... a Baby born to a virgin... obviously not just an ordinary baby. Oh, no! This was Jesus, God's Son! God's only Son! Sent to die.... die for.... me? Woah, wait... not me! But, yes, it's true! For me, for you, for all of us. All of us sinners. Filthy sinners. Why? He loves us that much. He was sent to earth just to... die? No! That's the best part. Not only was He sent to live among men and teach, heal, and love people here... not only was He sent to die for our sins.... but He rose, so that if we accept Him we can live with him for eternity. What's that, this is sounding more like the Easter story? Well, it's all one story. The Story. The greatest story of all times, the Gospel.
This isn't what I'd intended to write about when I sat down. I had expected this to be another "this is life" kind of post. But I'm just writing what comes to mind.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...".... it is, isn't it? My dad just came through singing that, and when my dad is singing Christmas songs, you know everyone is in the Christmas spirit and that Christmas is very near. Not that my dad doesn't like Christmas or Christmas time... not that he doesn't like Christmas songs... just that he's not fond of them until Christmas is close.
Well, it's about time for this post to come to a close. I hope you are all remembering the Reason for the season as you rush to get everything ready for Christmas and as you are caught up in your busy holiday schedules... just remember, give Him time always.
~*Emy*~
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November 30, 2007 - 2 things I 4got 2 say
Two things I forgot to say.... one is, EV Drama has a website!!!!
Keep in mind though that it is under construction so it's not finished.
Also, last night I was really tired but sat down to do my quiet time and since I was really tired, stressed, and nervous, I decided to read some Psalms instead of what I'd been reading in Exodus, Job, and Jeremiah. So I flipped over to the Psalms, and it opened to Psalm 94. I began reading, and then I got to the 19th verse: "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul." Isn't that so awesome, and such a great reminder that God is with me, no matter how stressed I am?
Anyway, I had to share that. :D
luvya'll,
EMY
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October 28, 2007 - My Testimony
I just finished reading Toria's testimony on the undercover blog (I encourage you to go read it; it's great!) It really encouraged me, because I love hearing other peoples' testimonies; not just about when they got saved, but about what God has taught them and brought them through. And it inspired me to write out my own testimony, for my own benefit as much as, or more than, anyone else's.
I was about 6 years old or so when I first heard God. It happened one day during VBS. I don't remember what it was that I heard that hit me, but that was the first time I knew that I needed God, that there was something missing in my life. That evening at home, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I knew what I needed to do, but I was too shy to tell my parents. I was very quiet that night. It almost seemed as if I couldn't talk... I thought if I did I'd start crying or something. Eventually the feeling went away.
When I was about 9 years old, I was in AWANAs at our church, and my Mom was helping me in my AWANA book at home one afternoon. There was a section where you could write down the date you were saved, if you had been saved. I remember my Mom telling me that she would love for me to be able to fill it out, and she told me about how salvation is God's gift to us; He is just waiting for us to take it. She asked me if I wouldn't accept a gift if it was laying in the living room right then, and why wouldn't I accept this gift, this amazing gift of salvation, from a holy God. I didn't get saved then either. I went to AWANAs that night, and kind of put it off. While I KNEW I needed to get saved, I kind of thought, "Oh, this is just something Mom wants me to do..." Then that night as I lay in bed, I knew God was calling me. I could feel it... I could almost hear it! It was so real... I was completely restless. I knew I needed to be saved, if I ever knew anything. I walked out into the living room, where my Mom was on the computer, several times, each time with the intention of telling her I wanted to be saved, but every time, when I went out there, I would chicken out and say something else. Finally I said to myself, this is it. I can't struggle with this anymore. I've got to tell her. I walked out there, looked at my Mom, and said "I want to get saved", then collapsed into her lap and cried and cried. Then we sat on the couch and she prayed with me. I remember telling my Dad I was saved, and my sisters, and then going in front of our church the next Sunday and telling them.
There; I'd said the prayer, told everyone I was saved.... now I'm safe, right? Well, yes... I asked Jesus into my heart that night. He heard me, and saved me. But a couple years later, I started having doubts. It became a reality... I thought, "But, what if I'm NOT really saved???" I didn't want to go to hell. I wanted to be sure. I talked to my parents a few times, prayed again, but I really didn't feel any different. I was living in fear. What if somehow I was never really saved? What if I'd said the prayer wrong, or had left something out, or didn't pay close enough attention? What if Jesus came back, or I died, and found out I wasn't saved? I wanted to know for sure, but each time I prayed, I wondered "Will it work this time?" I didn't have faith. I didn't completely believe, I didn't trust in God that if I "Believe[d] on the Lord Jesus Christ, [I would] be saved."
I went through times of doubting, and times when I was pretty sure. But there was always this nagging fear, this "what if...?" inside. This June at church camp, I was writing out my testimony as part of an assignment in a class, and God showed me so clearly... it's as if he was standing there beside the little concrete wall I was sitting on in the peaceful, cool, early morning with my notebook and pen, and said "Emma, I love you. You are my child. I have saved you. You know that. You just have to BELIEVE in Me, you have to TRUST that when you accepted Me, I saved you forever and ever. No more doubts; you are My child."
I have grown so much since then. Before, though God WAS teaching me things, there was a hindrance... I always had that little doubt, that was a barrier between me and God, it kept me from being able to grow in Him every day. Since then, He has worked in my life in so many ways, through big things and through small. At the beginning of this year, we left the church we'd been going to for 11 years, and started going to a different one. I didn't understand at the time why things had changed and we didn't feel like our old church was the place for us, but I knew it wasn't. And I just knew that this church was. In just a few months, I have changed so much. I have learned to worship Him openly, however He calls me to. He has taught me so much. I know that He is always with me, through the hard times and the good times. I don't usually understand why things happen, like in the song "Beauty from Pain", it says "And though I can't understand why this happened, I know that I will when I look back someday, and see you You've brought beauty from ashes". I don't understand why Meggy moved to CO, but I know that He has a plan and that He works everything out for the good of those who love Him and trust Him, and that He will show me in His own time. He is teaching me to trust Him, to surrender everything to Him, and not to rely on friends or family or the things of this world, but to fully rely on Him.
One of the best parts is that it's an adventure; He shows me things and teaches me each day. It's not boring, it's quite exciting to wake up and think, I wonder what God will teach me today? It's so amazing how He can work through anything.
But the absolute best part is that though this life is but a vapor and will be over before I know it, I will get to spend eternity with my Heavenly Father, worshiping at the feet of Jesus forever.
If you have never trusted God as you Savior, never accepted the punishment that Jesus took for you and the price He payed for you on the cross, if you have never answered that call, please do so now. It is so simple. All you have to do is pray to Him, He will hear you! Admit that you are a sinner, and confess your sins. Accept Jesus' blood as payment for your sin, and ask Him to forgive you (He will! He wants to! He's waiting to!) and to come into your life, and help you turn from your sin and your old ways and live for Him.
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October 16, 2007 - something kina interesting.... at least I thought so...
Daniel 9:12-14 says, "And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done in Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice."
I realize, of course, that this is talking about Jerusalem and those people... but do you not think this can be applied to America? "...by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done in Jerusalem." I remember two times for sure that our nation has been in a sort of panic because of a "natural" disaster or tragedy. How about 9/11?? Or hurricane Katrina? And those are just two that I remember very clearly because they've been recently... there have been a number of things that have happened in the past that we would consider to be a "great disaster", don't you think? "...all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the LORD has... brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice." It's true that when a disaster or tragedy happens, we turn to God all of the sudden, is it not? But then what happens? Everything is restored, we go back to our daily, normal life, and we forget about God. Sure, during the time of panic, we pray that everything will be okay, "yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth." Maybe God does things to get our attention, and it does get our attention, for a little while, yet we never turn from our iniquities, we just go right back to them. Sometimes we would probably say, "Why would God allow these things to happen?", or, "Why would God send a disaster or something bad to us?" But this Scripture is clear, "...for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice." Could it be that He is trying to get our attention, and to do so He must send tragedy? If so, we know it is a righteous doing. And isn't it awesome that even though we refuse to turn to Him, and have "not obeyed His voice", He continues to try to get our attention? The question is, will we listen to Him? We will we change?
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September 17, 2007 - God is good!
Okay just a quick update...
Not much exciting has happened lately, just the regular... church yesterday, choir today... school but of course that's not exciting... :P We're leaving tomorrow morning, driving up to Branson and shopping, then we'll spend the night and go into Silver Dollar City Wednesday and spend the night and drive home Thursday to co-op.
God is sooooo awesome!!!! I'm sure ya'll already know that but He has revealed that to me over and over and over again lately. Everywhere I turn, He is there, showing me something else, growing me, teaching me. It's great. It's amazing the way that He can work through Bible, books, devos, emails, friends, radio, and everything!! He has been teaching me so much, and some of it seems so simple yet it is amazing... He is always there for me. He works everything together for the good of those who love Him. He has everything under control, and knew that everything would happen long ago... He isn't worried or suprised about anything that happens, so why should we? I have to die to self every day. I have to surrender my thoughts, words, actions, hopes, dreams, my whole life to Him. It's His life now... so what do I have to worry about? Nothing!!! Galations 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." He is everything I need. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Isn't it great to know that when we feel like we can stand it no longer, like we are at our breaking point, that His grace is still sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect when we are weak? I think maybe He even brings us to weakness sometimes so that we will see His strength revealed. Everything that we do, we should do as to Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "... whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Even if we don't enjoy the situation we are in, or don't like the task we have to do, we should do it "to the glory of God". This is just some of what God has been showing me lately. Isn't He awesome?
No more time to write tonight, for I must finish packing. I will try to write Thursday or Friday.
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Much love,
Emy
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June 14, 2007 - Go and tell!
Last night’s youth service was really good. One of the things that really stood out to me in the sermon was that so many people think, alright I’m saved... I’m good now. If all God gives you is fire insurance, if the only reason He saves you is so that you can go to Heaven, then the moment you pray to receive Christ, He would take you right then and there. But, no! Once you’re His child, that’s great! But it’s not over. It’s our job to tell others about Him. Spread the word!
At camp, the tract time we took Thursday and Friday was by our youth leaders, and it was called Extreme Evangelism: They Don’t Serve Breakfast in Hell. It was really good and gave me a lot of ideas about how to witness to people. It can be so simple... as simple as drawing a circle on your hand. It will catch people’s attention, trust me! :D So they’ll ask, “Why do you have a dot on your hand?” And you can say something like, “That’s to remind me to ask you a question.” They’ll probably be like, “Ok, what question?” then you can say “If you died the moment you started talking to me, do you know where you would spend eternity?” and then you can lead the conversation from there. There are many other techniques and conversation starters. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy... but it gets THEM to come to YOU, instead of just walking up to people and saying “Are you going to heaven or hell?”
But, no matter how you tell them... it needs to be told!! We talk so often about the people in
Surrender your life to God, ask Him to use you. He will!
Go and tell!!!
-emy-
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June 12, 2007 - PTL!!!
I am ashamed of myself... I didn't even tell you the best part of church camp!!!! Alright, well, here it is: 7 ppl from our group got saved!!! PTL!!!! And then, Sunday night, the parents of one of the guys that went and his sister who'd gotten saved at camp came and they both got saved!!! PTL!!! All week you could really see God working in everyone's lives. I know He worked in mine, spoke to me about many things, and drew me closer to Him. It was an awesome week, and I do not at all regret going. I know that it was truly God's will for me to go.
God is good!!! All the time!!!! :D
~emy
Juan 3:16
Porque de tal manera, amo Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigento, para que todo aquel, que en el cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.
(John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.)
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May 20, 2007 - Sheep vs. People
Have you ever noticed how the Bible compares us to sheep? We have sheep, so I speak from experience, when I say that we do very much resemble sheep in some ways. That is not always a good thing! For sheep are very stupid and can be led astray very easily. All a person has to have is a little sweet feed, and sheep will follow them anywhere! If the wrong person did this, harm could easily come to these vulnerable animals. But they are happy as long as they have their food. Once the food is gone, however, they become discontent and realize that they are in a dangerous situation. The temptation is sweet and pleasing for a time, and then it turns to danger.
This is just like us! Satan can easily lure us away with “sweet feed”, or sin. It seems pleasing and sweet to us for a time, but then the danger comes.
Sheep are also, for the most part, pretty defenseless. If a predator comes toward them, their only defense, really, is to run. But they don’t always. If the danger looks pleasing to them, they may not run. A stranger could enter a sheep pasture, but if they held a bucket full of sweet feed, would the sheep run? No! They would very likely go toward the person. Satan is like this, he lures us into sin. When he comes, and tempts us with sin, do we run? Not always! The sin looks pleasing to us and we even sometimes go towards it.
Isaiah 53:6b says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way...”
Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.”
These are reasons why sheep need a shepherd. And fortunately, as God’s children, we do have a Shepherd! The greatest One of all! When we are lost and God calls us to Him, it is like a shepherd calling to his sheep.
Matthew 9:6 says, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd"
1 Peter 2:25 says, "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
God cares about us, He is our Shepherd, we are His sheep! Sheep love their shepherd. Their shepherd provides food and water for them, he cares for them. Without their shepherd, sheep wouldn’t make it long on their own.
John 10:11 says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
John 10:7-9 says, "Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
Psalm 100:3 says, “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Psalm 79:13 says, “So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.”
The shepherd also protects his sheep from enemies. As God’s children, our number one enemy is Satan. But, like a shepherd protects his sheep from enemies such as wolves, God protects His sheep from our enemy.
Jeremiah 23:1-3 says, " “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase."
Other “shepherds” will try to come along and lead you astray, but be sure of this! GOD is the only shepherd that will truly care for and protect you. He promises you this if you are His child!
John 10: 12-16 says, “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:10-12 says, “Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them. For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.”
John 10:26-28 says, "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."
There is something to do on your part, too, though. If a sheep wanders far from its shepherd and the rest of the flock, there will be a greater chance of danger. We need to stay close to God, our Shepherd, and close to other Christians, the rest of the flock. There is less temptation there. How do you do this? Stay in the Word of God. Pray to God. Fellowship and worship with other Christians.
Remember, we’re like sheep! We are, well, to put it plainly, stupid. We do make mistakes sometimes, and God may be up there saying “why in the world are they doing that?”. I know, because when we stand in the pasture with our sheep, they are really stupid! When you try to feed them, they stand in and on the feeder, they get in the way, they can just about knock you down. They do not realize how dumb they are acting, and we’re standing there going, “get out of the way! I will feed you if you get out of my way!” That is just how we act sometimes. God is trying to “feed” us spiritually, or trying to show us something, or give us something, but we’re in the way. We try to do it ourselves; we hinder God from giving us what He wants to give us. If we get out of His way, and just step back and let Him work, we would be amazed at what He would do for us!
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