Gettin' it done!

I have to say, I know it's still early in the year but I am impressed with myself for reading so much.  Simply giving myself a goal and purposefully getting more books from the library keeps me away from things like the TV, computer, and iDevices.  It's been nice--my eyes are much less square now!  I also feel like I've had more time to engage my brain in useful things, because reading really does engage the brain so much more than mindless electronic things.

So, that being said!  Last week I successfully cried through The Book Thief, and this week I got the privilege of reading a not-yet-published book by my mentor Ashley.  It was such a good one--I would recommend it to y'all but since it isn't out yet I'll just say that once it is, you'll hear about it from me. :-)

I'm also about 1/4 of the way through Daughters of Mars.  It's a story of two Australian sisters who are nurses during WWII.  Oh mah goodness, people...I should've expected it, because it is about nurses during wartime.  But there is so much blood and guts.  Ew.  I have to skim so much, because even just reading the word "hemorrhaging" makes me woozy...and yes, writing it does, too.  (I know, I'm a sissy)

All the same, I'm still ahead of schedule with 10 books down!  And we just finished, what, week 6?  Eh, 6 or 7.  Something like that.  I'm ahead of schedule and definitely looking at adding 2 extra books to my goal, making an even "52 in 52!" 

Up next, I'm planning on reading a book called "Pretties" by Scott Westerfeld.  Never heard of it, but I know someone who says it's a good book so I figured I'll give it a try.  I've also got Beowulf, Frankenstein, and The Song of Roland sitting on my nightstand, so hopefully I'll get around to those in the near(ish) future.

Anyone read some weird books lately?

"My friend is sad, so I can't tell her about my problems!"...What?

Ah, the ups and downs of life.  One minute, you're happy: you got all A's this semester, your boyfriend surprised you with flowers, your siblings have become a lot closer with you.  The next, things go downhill: you found out you failed an important class, your boyfriend broke up with you, and your siblings just opened fire on you, creating WWIII.

Every person on this beautiful planet has gone through ups and downs.  And as friends, we are there for each other--to help soften the blow or to jump up and down, squealing with joy.  Whatever one friend needs, the other is there to help and support.  It's what we do! 

But, what do you do when your friend comes to you in tears, venting all of the pent-up anger and hurt that's been building inside of her, yet you need to do the same?  How do you tell her you need that shoulder to cry on as well?  The answer is simple: First come, first serve.  JUST KIDDING.

Not only have I had this problem in my own personal life, I've also seen other people hold back from sharing their problems with friends because they don't want to infringe on the friend's moment.  Quite often, people opt out of saying anything about their own problems.  We tend to say to ourselves, "Their problem is bigger.  Mine's nothing, compared to that.  I can't be selfish--I need to be there for my friend."  And oh, how true you are in that last sentiment!  Except for one thing: your friend needs [and wants] to be there for you, too.

Sometimes it can be easy for us to fall into competition with other human beings, too.  It's what we do.  But not everything is a competition--and you certainly don't have to compete with you friends in the category of "whose life sucks more."  Don't be resigned to thinking, "Oh, well, her life is much worse than mine...she wins.  I can't talk about my problems right now."  Believe it or not, even in their hard moments of life, your friend does want to be there for you.  She wants to laugh with you and cry with you, just like you do with her.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."  ~Romans 12:15

We have the ability to be sad alongside our friends who are going through grief.  Sometimes this means both of you sitting on the couch, each having a time to vent, and then sharing tissues and fighting over who gets the last Dove chocolate.

And at the end of the day, your friendship will be stronger--forged by those shared tears.  You'll be strengthened in the encouragement you can mutually give each other.  Strong bonds are created between people who take the time and effort to not only laugh with each other in good times, but also cry together in the sad times.

The best thing to keep in mind, in any situation with a friend, is something that is incredibly important to our Father in heaven.  Love.  It's the most important commandment, and it's how we've been instructed to live our lives.  Loving your friend is the best thing you can do for her, and it's the best way to help her through her problems.  Lord willing, she'll be doing the same for you.  She wants to love you like you love her, so let her. 

"A friend loves at all times."  ~Proverbs 17:17

The Power of Prayer

Over and over and over again, God has practically screamed at me, "PRAYER! You keep asking why things are a certain way, you keep saying you want things to get better, so PRAY!"

Last summer I heard countless sermons about the power of prayer at different churches across the United States. I heard this theme through music, in conversations, and all over the place. It seemed like everywhere I went I saw this motif.

So, I decided to do something about it-- I responded to God by exclaiming, "Okay, okay, God-- I hear you!" and over the past 8 months or so, I've really tried to make prayer a priority in my life. As God continued to hit me over the head with this theme, I realized that my passion for prayer needed to move beyond my personal life.

One of the ways this movement has gone beyond me is with the start of a prayer group that Laurel and I put together. If you follow us regularly you'll remember that Laurel wrote a great post about the prayer group (you can read that post here) and if you're in Colorado Springs and would like to attend it, you can find more information about it here. Though the majority of people that have been attending include Laurel, myself, and random members of my family, I've seen God do incredible things and I can't even imagine what would happen if this movement were to gain momentum.

All the while, I've been praying with more fervency and expectancy, but most of all, I've been trying to remember that my prayers do mean something-- everything-- to God, and while the prayers of millions can move mountains, so can the prayers of one believer who truly believes that God hears.

So, whether you make the time to pray with other Jesus-followers, or just remember to be in constant conversation with The Creator by yourself, let's take a few moments to remember,
WHY we must pray,
HOW we must pray, and
WHAT things we should pray for...

1.) WHY we must pray:

Let's start with our purpose-- what's the point of prayer anyway? Isn't my once a week hail-mary good enough? Answer: No...

I loved the way that a guest speaker I heard at a church building (that I don't remember the name of) put it. He said (to paraphrase) "We see so many problems in the world and we, as Christians, often feel the need to help fight these problems. But where is the battleground? Is it on missions trips in foreign countries? Is it on missions trips in our own country? Is it during outreach projects and in our church buildings on Sundays? Where is the battleground?"

Wait for it-- this answer blew my mind so I figure suspense is necessary-- wait for it. . .

"There are always spiritual battles going on around us, and the only way we see that we are able to impact the heavenlies is through prayer. So the battleground isn't our missions trips-- the battleground is on our knees."

Did you hear that? THE BATTLEGROUND IS ON OUR KNEES! Be excited people! This is our only chance to suit up for war and be a part of the battle that's going on daily. Not that you should halt in missions and stop taking physical action when you can, but stop making prayer the last resort for times when you aren't able to physically help a situation, and make it your first reaction in every situation (positive or negative).

Jesus tells us that we have to pick up our cross daily, and let me tell you people, when you take this on, it isn't a stroll in the park or a float on cloud nine. Though we receive everlasting joy, picking up your cross is HARD. If every day we are putting on a suit of armor to fight the good fight and pick up our cross, then let's get to the battleground that we were made to fight on. This is our one chance to fight in unity with the rest of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is our one chance to go to fight in a battle that we don't have to go to a certain school or network certain connections to be victors in. You don't need credentials of bravery, you don't need to know how to shoot a gun (but good for you if you do know how), you don't need anything, except for Jesus in your heart. Pray!

Not to mention, prayer is the one thing that unites the believers. Even the word of God can bring about discrepancies when humans try to interpret it between different denominations, but prayer is something that all followers of Christ can agree is important.

Are you excited yet?!

2.) HOW we must pray:

One of the most back-handed (or maybe I should say "back-spirited?") compliments that I've ever received is, "Wow, Emma, I just love the way you pray. You're just so good at it. I don't think I could ever pray like that, so I'll let you do all the praying."

like...      what....?

Don't get me wrong, that's really sweet, I guess, but
First of all, it kind of sounds like an excuse to not pray, which is lame because any opportunity to talk to God is a good one and
Second of all, that is SO discouraging to me. I want everyone to feel like they have the power of prayer in them-- because they do-- and no one has to or should pray "like that," you should pray like you!

Having said all of that, I get it, I really do. I've been there. Especially when you're younger in the faith, it's easy to listen to someone pray out loud and think, "Wow, what an eloquent speech. Did they plan that out? I think I'll just keep my mouth shut because I didn't plan anything out. My nerves would probably take over and I'd be like, 'uh... thanks bro, for... ya know... dying on the cross and stuff...'" I've been in that place where it seems like there has to be a specific formula for prayer, but God has really convicted me personally that there is no formula.

Learning about the lack of prayer formula was something that I really saw in Brazil. While I was there, I'm pretty sure I literally gasped when people were just praying on top of each other left and right and then sometimes there was silence. Sometimes there were 10 people praying at once and sometimes there was 1 person praying. Worst of all, there was NO ORDER! That's right all you westerners-- No order! People didn't even squeeze hands to figure out who should go next or anything! Ah man, that was a great time. Being a part of this really reminded me that prayer is not about what you say, when you say it, or who hears you when you say it. It's about a conversation with God that is meant to bring Him glory.

That being said, it's important to be honest when praying. Don't go all "Christianese" by praying about things that you make up just to sound nice-- be real. This concept is hard for me to explain in more depth, but being honest with God and myself has really revolutionized my prayer life. Even if you feel like you're pretty honest in prayer now, I challenge you to ask God how you can be even more transparent in your relationship with Him. If you ask, I promise He will show you.

Finally, do what you're comfortable with and go outside of your comfort zone. Prayerception-- I know. What I mean by this is, if you're at a prayer meeting where everyone else prays out loud, but you don't feel comfortable praying out loud, then pray silently. It's better to pray in your head while gathered in fellowship then to stay home because you're uncomfortable or afraid. However, try to change things up from time to time and push yourself outside of your comfort zone in your prayer life. If you've never prayed out loud before, try it sometime. If you've never prayed in your head before, try it sometime. If you've never journaled, or tried Korean style prayer, or many other things-- try it sometime! Just like any relationship, ya gotta spice things up from time to time in your relationship with God! It's amazing how you will see God transform your heart when you do this.

3.) WHAT things we should pray for:

I promise I'll try to make this section shorter. Luckily the answer is more simple.

We should pray for everything! Seriously, God cares about all the details of life-- He is life, after all. The more you talk with Him, the more you'll see your life refined by Him. Even if you're a babbling idiot like I am most of the time, He will refine you because the beauty of prayer is that it is a conversation. Prayer is not you running your mouth at God. Instead, it's a conversation in which He responds.

I try to keep talking and listening to God throughout my day so that prayer is really just a never-ending thing in my life. This means we'll talk about the weather, homework, work, parking spots (our fave), music lessons, meals, family, friends...

If prayer is far from being a way of life for you, you might consider picking some select times of your day to make prayer important and pick some topics to pray about.

Here is a list of some things you can keep in mind to be in prayer about:

• Your nation-- Whether it be the USA or somewhere else, your nation could use prayer. Prayers for safety, guidance, and great leadership among other things.
• Your city-- pray for the place you live and watch it change. Who knows the needs of your city better than you? (Besides God)
• Your neighborhood/neighbors-- Guys. Most people know more about their favorite celebrities than their neighbors, here in America. Let's change that by getting to know our neighbors and, more importantly, helping them to know Christ!
• World Crisis-- pretty self explanatory.
• Your home/family-- Every home is a church, filled with some of the most influential people in your life whether they're good or bad to you. It's imperative that you pray for them with the hope that you might all grow in your relationship with Jesus.

^These are just a few topics that I feel led to pray about. These are some things that we can come together to pray for!

Prayer tips:

1. Sometimes when I'm really struggling in my prayer life, God reminds me that prayer is not meant to be all about me. So if you find yourself struggling, remember to pray often for other people and watch how God uses that. 

2. Can't sleep at night? Scroll through your FB friend list and pray for everyone you come across.

3. Write people's names on sticky notes and put them in random places. When you come across the note, pray for that person. 

4. A personal favorite-- write names of people, things, or topics on random pages of your Bible and pray over them when you get to that page in your Bible reading.

Remember, prayer is our greatest opportunity is to surrender everything to Him. Therefore let prayer be our first response instead of our last resort.

Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy, & Stay Creative,

                                

                    Emma

The Pilgrim's Progress

This is my weekly update on my 50 in 52 challenge...comin' to you one day late, because I'm lazy.  And yes, I did skip last week, because I didn't read any books last week. 

As the post title may imply, I read Pilgrim's Progress this week.  I also got halfway through The Book Thief, but that doesn't count [yet].  I have my friend Amber, who is also doing the 50 in 52 challenge, to thank for me reading this book.  For years, I've heard about this book--and I always thought it must be a boring book about American pilgrims or whatever.  I don't know.  I'm not one for American history or anything like that, so I never had any interest in reading it.

Then I talked to Amber, and realized I was dead wrong!  So reading this book was a really fun thing for me because on every page, my former expectations of what the story was about were completely shattered.  It was a really fun book.  And according to the preface written by the publishers, Pilgrim's Progress has apparently been read by more people in the English language than any book--with the exception of the Bible.  Which is pretty cool.  This book was a fun way of interpreting a Christian's journey through life, and I definitely enjoyed it.

So my current list is at 8 books, with a whopping 42 left to read.  48 weeks to go.

This week I'm hoping to finish up The Book Thief and also read Daughters of Mars...or possibly Beowulf.  Or any of the other books sitting on my nightstand, waiting to be read.  We'll see!

Keep the book suggests coming, people!

The never-ending list

Found on victorienvannes.tumblr.com.

It seems like just when I think I've made some headway, I realize there are another 100 titles to add to my list.  No matter how hard I try, I can never keep up--let alone make progress!  There is a never-ending list of books to read, and I'm sure other bibliophiles can relate.  This year, I intend to make a dent in the list, to the best of my ability.

But really, what is 50 books when there are millions out there for us to read?  Granted, many books are not the sort I would enjoy reading.  You will never find a Stephen King suspense/mystery thriller on my nightstand, nor will you find 50 Shades of Grey or anything by Stephanie Meyer in my possession.  Even with filters like these, there are so many books out there I want to read.  Sometimes I wonder if there will be libraries in heaven.  That would be such a magnificent sight!  And I wonder, if there were libraries in heaven, what sort of books would fill the shelves.  I suppose I will just have to wait and see. =)

So!  Here are the books I read this week.  I am somewhat disappointed with myself that I have only accomplished to read two, but at least it's something--and it's definitely more than nothing.

1. Lord Tophet by Gregory Frost
Mostly good book but one part in the middle completely ruined it for me with incredibly vulgar humor that was taken way too far...wouldn't recommend.
2. The Veritas Conflict by Shaunti Feldhahn
Switches between the perspectives of the main human characters and the main characters in the spiritual realm.  Good read.

I am also going through The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, but I started reading it in 2014 so it doesn't count as part of the "50 in 52" list.  Oh well! 

7 down, and only 43 to go!

Have you read any good books this week?  I am always looking for recommendations!

50 books in 52 weeks

Why is it that people in our culture don't read as often as we used to?  Oh wait, I know the answer to that.  Television, movies, endless soul-sucking posts on social media.  I hate to admit it, but I fit that bill--I spend a lot more time watching screens than I do with my nose in a book, which is an incredibly sad thing to realize.  Well, this year, my goal is to change that.  I have decided to read 50 books in 2015.  Though I'm not entirely sure I can do it, I want to try.  Last year I completed NaNoWriMo, ran a 5k, and did a number of other things I thought I couldn't do until I tried them.  Why not give this a try?

First, let me clarify what I mean by "book."  Reading a children's picture book does not count, and reading short stories doesn't count either.  However, I am open to reading novellas, children's chapter books, plays, and other books that aren't necessarily super thick.  Perhaps next year I will step it up to reading 50 difficult books in a year, but this year I don't think I can accomplish that feat.  

I know for a fact that I will not read one book every week.  It just doesn't happen...especially when you're a full-time college student, part-time babysitter, and part-time photographer.  And church volunteer.  And enjoy watching movies.  Aaaaand try to have a social life...but, I digress.  This week, I have read 5 books (or plays).  5 down, 45 to go!  Depending on the week--and depending on the book--I may actually write reviews for some of them.  For right now, though, I'm just going to give y'all the names of the books (and plays) I read this week. 

1. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
2. The Sea-Gull by Anton Chekhov
3. Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov
4. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
5. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

As always, I am up for any book suggestions people out there may have for me.  Especially with a goal of 50 books in a year on my plate, I am definitely open for recommendations! 

The Ultimate Measure of a Man

For times when you need your life to be put back in perspective-- here's a poem that I wrote a while back. It started out with inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and it ended up being a reminder of all I have been given by the one, true King. It's funny how God does that...

Some people are born great while others are born greater

But sometimes even the greatest of the great don’t remember the image that they’re made in.

One great person I know of, His name is Dr. Martin Luther King.

He left this Earth, a hero, with a legacy in the making,

He said, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.
You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

You only have to put your hope and faith in The King who reigns from above.

“Only?” you ask, “Only put your hope in Him?

You say it like it’s so easy, but I know that the truth lies within because,

That’s like only diving down to the depths of the ocean

because I’ve been hurt so many times I can’t ever let this door open.

No one can get to me, they can’t read what’s on my heart today,

I won’t let them get inside no matter how hard you pray.

I am ME and ME is great, I’m the greatest you’ve ever seen,

And I won’t let anyone, not even God try to take that from ME.

I am strong, I am strong, but I’ve been hurt a lot before,

The difference is that was then but now I am locking the door.”

“ONLY??” you ask, “ONLY trust someone else?

I don’t think you understand, I can ONLY trust myself.

Because I’m the only one who knows, the only one who understands,

The only one who feels my heart beating and I won’t let you screw up my plans.”

But let me tell you, that’s not true, those are lies seared into your brain.

Those are lies that you developed to try to mask all of that pain,

Let me tell you, let me tell you, let me tell you something real,

There is one person in this universe that knows exactly how you feel

And He won’t steal you or reveal you, He will make your whole life new,

He won’t try to change you or rearrange you, He accepts you for you.

“And what makes ‘him’ different?”

What makes HIM different, you ask?

Well let me show you, you need to know too, because His cause is a mighty task.

He is The Creator. He is The Designer.
He is The Healer and Master Diviner.
He made The Heavens, He Made the Earth.
He gave life to the skies, the oceans, and the birds.
He is God. He is Lord. He is everything that is good.

But as He sat there on His Holy throne, He knew that we misunderstood.

So He sent Jesus, He sent Jesus, down to earth as a simple human.

As a baby He was born and later He died to make us new again.

And He was HURT, He was BETRAYED, even though in His friends you’d think He could trust.

HE IS 110% GOD, and yet He chose to live with us.

He came down to the grave and then went back to heaven, in order to restore.

And now we have His word and the Holy Spirit so we can remember that He's walked this road before.

So when you think you’re all alone and you’re afraid to trust other people,

Remember that the Cross means more than a friendly welcome sign on a church steeple.

It means HOPE, it means PEACE, it means LOVE, it means PERFECTION,

But not perfection in who we are-- in His death and resurrection.
So find Him sons and daughters. Find Him to live life True.
Find him and in him rest your hope, because He will always find you.

And on days when you’re lost and lonely and you think that you are done,

Read His word, and remember that the battle has already been won.

And He cares for you and He loves you and He will never let you go

Because the Lord Jesus Christ, oh He loves me, I

know because the Bible tells me so.

Dr. King was a really great person, I admire Him a lot.

And as he sits face to face with Jesus, I hope he is saving my spot

So I could ask Him a few simple questions and congratulate him on winning the cause,

The cause for the Kingdom of Christ, because that’s the greatest cause for applause.

“I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land,”

Just as the Bible commands,

Martin Luther King put his faith in Jesus, and that is the ultimate measure of a man.