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Can You Imagine?
“Cheer up, don’t be afraid. For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will give you victory. He will rejoice over you in great gladness; he will love you and not accuse you.” Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song.” — Zephaniah 3:16–18 Can you imagine that God’s delight in us is so genuine, so spontaneous, so spirited that he exults over us by singing happy songs? Can you imagine that he not only lives among us (within us) and promises to give us victory, but also that he rejoices…
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Sinful Opportunities
I realized something today. I need to accept my biggest weakness. Accept that the sin that I keep turning to time and time again is something I will continue to struggle with. It’s a cycle really: I repent sincerely and am forgiven, then end up committing the same sin. I tear myself apart. I think this is partially because when I sincerely repent, I have every intention of leaving that struggle behind – cold turkey. The next time I give into that same temptation I feel like a quitter, a failure, or even a traitor. I need to accept – just as we all do – my struggle. If I…
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You’re stupid…now go conquer the world.
There are a lot of mixed signals in this world about being unique. When you’re young you’re encouraged to be yourself and to dream big. Parents and teachers reinforce the idea that you can do anything you put your mind to. Then you get to high school. Not to say peer pressure doesn’t occur before this big chapter in life, and not to say that everyone has a negative experience, but generally speaking high school hits you like a bus. All of the sudden your self confidence and control is tested like never before at a time where you are still growing and learning who you are – and it…
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God wants us to be reckless
There’s no shadow You won’t light up, Mountain You won’t climb up, Coming after me. There’s no wall You won’t kick down, Lie You won’t tear down, Coming after me. (Reckless Love – Cory Asbury) I wish I could accurately explain the images in my head as I listen to that bridge. The image of God lighting up the dark like an explosion, climbing up mountains in a rage, busting through walls and battling with the enemy… This warrior-like description of God is nothing new – this is part of God’s character. Oftentimes we put God and his angels in a box. God is an old man with a white…
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Stomping On Landmines
“A miracle can happen now, for the Spirit of the Lord is here…” We repeated this bridge over and over in church tonight. You know how that goes; the first few times you are deep in worship. Hands raised, eyes closed…then about the sixth time, one eye opens. You start looking around as you continue to repeat the same line. Are they going to sing another line? Maybe another song? As much as I love that song, I was about to have one of these moments when it hit me – A miracle can happen now. The reality of this statement is mind-blowing – don’t miss it. We are so…
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Hopelessly Ever After
Hopeless romantic. This person sees the world with rose-colored glasses. They love the thought of love. Every scenario plays out like a scene from a romantic comedy. Even when things go wrong, their imagination can spin it as a plot twist as they anxiously await the happy ending. Something as simple as hearing birds singing can launch them into daydreams. Hi, my name is Emily. I’m a hopeless romantic. I was thinking about this term the other day. Hopeless? Thanks. Couldn’t we say something like “optimistic romantic” instead? Hopeless seems better fitted for a pessimist, not someone who is always imagining the best in a situation. In fact, hopeless romantics…
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Epic Sadness
I recently discovered the secret to my random sad thoughts, fears and discouragement: something epic is about to happen. The other night was just one of those nights. Nothing was wrong, but I felt emotionally drained. Is there a sort of jet-lag for major life changes?! Some days I am on top of the world, and by evening I am overcome by sudden discouragement and sadness. It comes like the weather in Michigan: sporadic. One day it is 75 and sunny and the next day there is a foot of snow. But I noticed that pattern: the negative usually comes right after a positive… The next morning I got up…
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How To Have A Successful Day
We can be so critical of people. We are quick to judge before knowing the backstory; we notice flaws before strengths; we hold grudges. When someone hurts us, we feel entitled to hold onto it. We use words like “fair” or “deserve”. I’m in the air right now and I’m looking down at what looks like little boxes and little specks moving along a little line. Below me are thousands of people. Some are getting up and going to work. Some are dropping their kids off at school. Some are still curled up sleeping in bed, and some are curled up on a street corner because they have no bed.…
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Do you really trust God?
I have been asking myself this question a lot lately. Initially I’m sure your response was the same as mine: of course I do! The Bible says that faith without works is dead. It also says that everything you do flows from your heart. I love God with all of my heart and soul, but looking back at some of my choices the last year left me wondering. Do I really trust God with my life? Do I seek His will in every single decision, or only the ones I choose? Am I boldly pursuing God’s plan for my life even if it doesn’t line up with my own? I…
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Agape: A Love Like No Other
Agape: Noun / Christian love, especially as distinct from erotic love or emotional affection. Early 17th century: from Greek agapē ‘selfless love.’ I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. I look for the good in them before I see the bad. I see potential in people that everyone else writes off. I thrive in helping those people see themselves in a positive light — the way God sees them. Sometimes they do prove me wrong, and for some reason I am disappointed and surprised every time that happens. But alas, I do it again and again. People tell me that I am “too nice” (which I totally take as a…
