Coffee: My Good Friend in the Morning

Hey there. Emmy here!
Are you a coffee lover?  Don't you just love the smell of coffee being brewed? 
I don't know about you, but to me, there's just something about that first cup in the morning, that's so delicious. I like half and half in my coffee, so in the morning I put a little bit in, and then pour my coffee, and it's nice and hot, and tastes great.
What's your favorite kind of coffee? What do you like in yours?

Have a warm day! 

Let it Snow!

Today here in Colorado Springs it's windy, cold, and snowy! It's currently 27 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside!  My ballet class that would have been tonight, has been cancelled due to the icy and snowy roads. So today will consist of staying warm and cozy, coffee and/or hot chocolate, sitting by the fire, and wearing sweatshirts. : )
Hope your day is warmer than mine!

50 Book Challenge: Can We Do It??

Hello friends! Emmy here. Hope everyone had a fun, safe, relaxing, and blessed Christmas break! :) We sure did. We moved into our new house, I performed in my ballet company's production of Nutcracker, I was baptized, and I turned 16! And now we're getting back into everyday schedules/routines.

Ahhh. New year. New goals. I think we all try to make resolutions every year, but never achieve them, or stick with them.
Well, this year will be different! I have a challenge for you all. Let's read 50 books (or more, if you love reading!) by the end of 2012!
You don't have to be reading a book every single day, unless you just read that fast, but rather in your spare time, pick up a good book! For example, while you're watching t.v., during commercial breaks, mute the television, and read!

I think if we all put a little bit of time into it everyday, we can do it!

Let the books begin!!

Let Your Hearts Be Light

A broken laptop. Still living in rent house. Missing school friends. Coffee spilled in new bag, staining beloved Little Women and writing book. Crochet hook lost. 

What do these have in common? They are all things that Satan could be using to try to steal my joy. They could be things God is using to teach me about not taking stock in material possessions. But one thing I know, in the long run they are all trivial. Looking back to think of my "poor me" list, I couldn't even remember half the things that had gone wrong last week. 

This couldn't have come at a better time and I praise God for it. Those "trials" helped me remember the main focus of this season and put me in my place. Here's my reasoning I've come up with for it: 

First, everything I have comes from God and is ultimately His. If He saw me becoming too materialistic, He has the authority to teach me a lesson. Second,  let's think about something for a moment. The Lord, King of kings willingly gave up the glories and riches of Heaven. Gave up His throne to do what? Be born in a primitive stable. Not even a small comfortable home. A stable. Born in a stable, surrounded by animals, to grow up in our dark world only then to sacrifice His life. I had to tell myself, "Elizabeth, He held nothing, NOTHING back from you. Surely you can offer to Him whatever He asks of you." 


Now that's not to say God asked me to sacrifice those things. Maybe He did, I don't know. But it did teach me a lesson. That if He did, I know I can- and should- joyfully and willingly. I also learned that Satan is still prowling around to attack. He wanted those little bumps in the road to ruin my week. He wanted me to throw a pity party and forget about joy. I wasn't going to give him points on his scoreboard though. With the power of the Holy Spirit I was able to grasp tightly to joy in Christ. 


Turns out, the broken laptop has led to me spending more time with my family, crafting, and reading. Still being in the rent house means a simpler, handmade Christmas. Missing school friends only means I'll appreciate them all the more when I return. The bag got clean, the book is still readable. On that note, when the coffee incident happened my Bible was in that same bag but saw no damage. For that I'm thanking the Lord. 


Friday afternoon sent thoughts of Philippians 3:7-8 swirling through my head, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" 

No, I did not suffer the way Paul did. I didn't even suffer at all. But I was encouraged to count all things as garbage compared to knowing the love of my Savior. 

In light of this, I hope this Christmas season finds you all well, dear friends. Let's look up to Heaven and rejoice in the best gift of all. Have yourselves a merry little Christmas and let your hearts be light, for Christ Himself said, " Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Veteran's Day! It's 11/11/11!

Hello friends! Wow, can you all believe its 11.11.11? Isn't that crazy?

But it's also Veteran's Day! I'm so thankful for people that have died and fought, protecting our country, and those who continue to do so.

Is there a veteran that you know? Be sure and thank them for their bravery and service!

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." Psalm 33:12

Exciting news!!

Hello everybody! Its Emmy. Hope October has got off on a good start for you all!

This afternoon, I had ballet rehearsals, as I do every Saturday. Well, today while I was at my studio, I got an invitation to a competition in Denver called "Denver Ballet Guild: Young Dancers Competition"!! It will be held in March. I'm very excited! I am hoping and praying that I'll be able to attend!

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend!

Somewhere in the Middle You'll Find Me

I'm riding the fence. College or home? I am torn.
College. This has proved to be a blessing in so many ways! Besides the obvious college education factor, I have also become way more prayerful and reliant on God for the small things in everyday life. I have met incredible friends. I have a good job. I enjoy my classes, for the most part.. ;)  Chapel is amazing. I know completing a degree will help me, should I enter the work force. I even spoke with a man who works for a mission organization in Africa, and he told me about their need for Home-Ec-Education specialists to teach village people life skills! However I find myself feeling constantly surrounded, yet lonely. I don't feel like myself....but maybe this really is myself.....okay that's the extent of my philosophizing. Something doesn't feel right about being here on my own but having my parents paying for it and having to pay back colossal loans for it. Basically, I'm finding myself how I anticipated: desparately missing.....
Home. The whole reason behind my FCS-Ed major. SO MANY THINGS I miss (I won't go into listing them). SO MANY THINGS I would love to do there (maybe I'll share those later). Going back home would not mean becoming a lazy, couch potato, parasite. Nor does it mean letting my mind God has blessed me with go to waste. It is my goal and dream to become a domestic artist. I want to excel in the art of making a house a home; I want to be a blessing to my family and through them, other families. Why am I paying thousands and thousands of dollars to learn something my excellent homemaking mother can teach me through experience? What better way to learn about my passion, families, than to be engaged in my own? I would relish the opportunity to teach my sister and help her with her education. That right there would save us a couple dollars! Not paying private school tuition or private college tuition! I dream of broadening my sewing expertise, learning how to sew clothing and curtains! I want to learn more about gardening. I would love to learn home canning and preservation. I could acquire skills for financial management. The list goes on. Those skills could be taken to minister to others in Africa. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but a college degree is not necessary to teach over there.

Regardless of my situation and where I am, I still praise God! I'm thankful for Him being unchanging. He's the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He's the one constant in my life. There are so many things to praise Him for that I don't even have time to waste pining for what I don't have. I have made the decision to CHOOSE JOY and delight in the Lord's love!